Operations

Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard heats up 2026 with $60K drive-thru incentive program

Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard is launching an aggressive 2026 incentive program offering up to $60,000 in direct cash support to franchisees who open drive-thru locations, aiming to capitalize on the model's 38% performance advantage and year-round appeal.

Photo: Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard

February 17, 2026 by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Networld Media Group

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Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard is entering 2026 with an aggressive new incentive program designed to rapidly expand its drive-thru footprint, offering franchisees up to $60,000 in contributions for new locations. In a recent phone interview with QSRweb, Rita's Chief Development Officer Lawrence Brown explained that the program—one of the most ambitious in the industry—moves away from traditional royalty discounts in favor of direct cash support to capitalize on a model that projects a 38% performance advantage over walk-up units. By prioritizing speed of service and family convenience, the brand aims to open at least 45 units this year, leveraging drive-thru capabilities to extend operating seasons into colder months and solidify its position as a year-round destination.

The brand closed 2025 having surpassed 500 locations worldwide, opening 35 shops in 2025 alone. U.S. openings increased 10% year-over-year and new unit signings grew by nearly 10% year-over-year.

"As we scale and face the same cost pressures affecting the entire industry, we're committed to making Rita's a smart investment for today's operators," Brown said in a press release. "That means flexible formats, thoughtful reuse of second-generation real estate, smaller footprints and ongoing investment in the tools our franchisees need to grow. In addition to banks and dry cleaners, we're now seeing vacant coffee shop spaces as a promising new opportunity in the mix."

QSRweb.com talked to Brown in a phone interview to learn more about Rita's new push for franchising and how drive-thrus are the wave of the future for the brand.

Q. You're offering a $40,000 cash contribution paid out to the franchisee. At what specific construction milestone is the $40,000 cash contribution paid out to the franchisee? When does that happen?

Brown: It happens once they're open, and for us to classify as open, it means certificate of occupancy, so the city's given its ability to have people in there, and then the health certificate, meaning now you can serve food. Once you do that and you ring up your first sale, we'll then provide the contribution.

Q. There's a kicker eligibility of $10,000 for early construction. Does breaking ground require a full foundation pour, or does site clearing and permit issuance by April 15, 2026, satisfy the requirements?

Brown: From the GC (general contractor) mobilizing the site, that satisfies the requirement. Of course that is a timeline, especially where we are now — we launched it in November — but it's still possible, especially if someone has a site that they're thinking about or doing something with. They could probably pretty quickly start getting moving. To get the $10,000 kicker it needs to be started by April 15 but to get the remaining $50,000, (a Rita's franchis) just needs to be done by the end of the year.

Q: The remaining $10,000 comes from an equipment credit. Is that a rebate on purchases made through preferred vendors or is that a direct credit towards a specific drive-thru package?

Brown: Essentially, we believe very much in digital menu boards. They just make life easier, especially in a brand like ours where we have flavors and the flavors can change every single day. So, if you installed drive-thru digital menu boards instead of the traditional ones, you'll get that piece and that comes also in a check at the end. If you open up a drive-thru and also have digital menu boards, you get (an extra $10,000) check from us.

If you open up a shop by the end of December 31st, 2026, you get a $40,000 cash contribution. To be considered open, you need a certificate of occupancy, health certificate, and to ring in your sale. Now, if you break ground — mobilize — by April 15th, you can get a $10,000 kicker. That would make you $50,000. An additional kicker is if you have drive-thru digital menu boards — we know it's a little bit more expensive than traditional ones — we can give you another $10,000. That's how you'd get to the total $60,000. Additionally, we're inviting any new or existing franchisees that hit that opening by the end of the year to a tropical paradise trip that we'll be doing in Q1 of next year.

Photo: Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard

Q: Why is the 2027 incentive package significantly lower? It's $35,000 compared to up to $60,000. Is this to create a sense of urgency for 2026?

Brown:Exactly, and we know things happen. We're all reasonable individuals. So we know that people might be searching and something might happen, so we still don't want it to be 100% 'Oh well, I tried really hard, something was outside my control.' You can still get some credit, but obviously it's a benefit to all of us something happening sooner than later.

Q: You expansion in Texas focuses on second-generation drive-thru properties. What are the minimum square footage and lane length requirements to qualify for the drive-thru?

Brown: So for a drive-thru incentive program, it doesn't necessarily need to be just Texas. It can be anywhere in the country. We're just looking on a corporate side to (expand) in Texas to really help accelerate. So specifically in Texas, we're looking at building five shops that we're working on in a couple of different markets to just help support the expansion there. As far as the site qualifications to qualify, essentially you need to have a drive-thru. It needs to have our standards, which is a minimum of a three-car stack along with the menu board placement and a pre-sell board. So those are just our standards that would be required to qualify if you're converting a location or you're building something ground-up.

Q: Okay. How has the drive-thru model specifically helped extend, like, the operating season in colder climates compared to the traditional walk-up window?

Brown: As any consumer can imagine, if you're walking up to the window and it's 40 degrees out and you're grabbing a frozen treat, you're probably less inclined to do it versus going through the drive-thru. And interestingly, most of the coffee concepts will say that they sell the majority — over 50 percent — of their business is frozen or cold drinks, and they don't naturally always see a dip during the winter months because of the drive-thru. So similarly, it allows people to stay in their cars and benefit from that.

It also. for us, there's two other things that are really important. Obviously, if you have inclement weather and you're traditionally a walk-up window — so not necessarily just cold, but it could be raining — it allows people to be able to come to our shops and still get a treat. Our real target audience, where we're most successful, is families and kids. Being a parent, I can attest when they were a little bit younger, being able to keep your kids in the car seat or not having to unbuckle them is a huge benefit as well.

Q: With 2026 focusing on speed of service, what's the target transaction time from speaker to window for a drive-thru Italian Ice order?

Brown: We've always focused on (great customer service) right from the beginning of time. And when we look at converting banks, former dry cleaners, as well as coffee shops, we have stacks that could be different sizes anywhere from three to potentially 10-car stacks out there, so that obviously changes the time. But if we were looking at a standard stack, we're generally trying to do it within three minutes from the point of when someone makes an order to when they get the product. That being said, different than your traditional QSR, we are a different moment of consumption, meaning people are coming after school, after religious activities, after sporting events, so they're looking to relax. So, yes, of course time is important and we know our kids can be antsy and anxious. More important is serving the guest great and that's what we've seen on our side consistently. We rank up there with some of the best as far as guest satisfaction.

About Mandy Wolf Detwiler

Mandy Wolf Detwiler is the managing editor at Networld Media Group and the site editor for PizzaMarketplace.com and QSRweb.com. She has more than 20 years’ experience covering food, people and places.

An award-winning print journalist, Mandy brings more than 20 years’ experience to Networld Media Group. She has spent nearly two decades covering the pizza industry, from independent pizzerias to multi-unit chains and every size business in between. Mandy has been featured on the Food Network and has won numerous awards for her coverage of the restaurant industry. She has an insatiable appetite for learning, and can tell you where to find the best slices in the country after spending 15 years traveling and eating pizza for a living.

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