TREVOSE, Pa. — Rita's Italian Ice has announced the company has opened its first store in Texas. The Bedford, Texas, location is the first of two Rita's to open this year in the northern suburbs of Dallas-Fort Worth, with one other location set to open in Flower Mound, Texas. Texas becomes the 18th state to join the Rita's franchise system, which has more than 550 stores.
The opening of the first location in Texas illustrates Rita's aggressive expansion plan, set forth by Jim Rudolph, chairman of the board and CEO of Rita's.
"As the Rita's brand continues to grow, it's always a momentous occasion when the first store opens in a new state," Rudolph said. "We are honored to serve Texans beginning this spring, and we look forward to expanding our footprint in the state with more stores in the years to come." John Jakszta and his business partner are operators of the new Bedford location. Jakszta grew up in New Jersey, where the Rita's concept was a tradition throughout the state.
"The response since we opened has been phenomenal — from East Coast transplants happy to see Rita's in Texas, to the new customers that immediately fall in love with our product and experience," Jakszta said. Rita's of Bedford is open from 12:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. every night. The store features walk-in service and seating.
