Rita’s franchisee found ‘love at first bite’

Lawyer Maria Finley who opens first Rita’s franchise in state of Louisiana featured in local newspaper

Attorney Maria Finley was a new empty-nester who was ready to move away from her hometown of Baton Rouge and start a new chapter in her life in Washington, D.C. That was before a Rita’s Blue Raspberry Italian Ice stopped her in her tracks.

As Finley told “The Advocate,” one bite was all it took to put her on a whole new path. Today, she is the proud owner of the first Rita’s franchise in the state of Louisiana. “The Advocate,” which featured Finley recently, wrote in part:

Four summers ago, Maria A. Finley, a Louisiana attorney, packed her things and was prepared to move to Washington, D.C. Her children had all grown up, and she was ready for a fresh start.

After touring Georgetown University with her son and his friend, the trio visited a Rita’s Italian Ice. For Finley, it was love at first bite.

“I got the blue raspberry and I tasted it, and I mean, literally within two or three minutes I called my realtor and said, ‘Take my house off the market. I’m coming back to Louisiana and opening a Rita’s Italian Ice franchise,’” Finley said.

With that blue raspberry, Finley picked up on something a lot of people have known about Rita’s for more than three decades — it’s delicious.

What Rita’s offers franchisees

Italian ice and frozen custard are our two core products, comprising part of virtually everything we sell. That helps keep our food costs really low. Our simple business model gives franchisees the opportunity to run a profitable business, and our mobile units and catering offer additional streams of revenue and a simple way to expand the business.

Rita’s is a happy business, where guests come in excited with anticipation and leave even happier than when they arrived. With no cooking involved, it’s easier to find, train and retain labor — and also easier to scale up quickly.

Her seasonal franchise is open year-round

As for Finley, she’s loving her new life as a Rita’s franchisee. She opened her shop in October 2018 and added a mobile unit in May. While many Rita’s franchisees in the northeast close their shops during winter months, in Baton Rouge, where January’s high temps average around 60, there’s no need to completely shut down in winter. And the community is loving it. “The Advocate” wrote:

“The response has been wonderful,” Finley said. “The secret is to get it in their mouths. And that’s part of the excitement that makes me so happy to have brought this franchise to Louisiana — practically every person I see taste it gets this amazing look on their face.”

Finley is well aware that Louisiana’s frozen treat of choice is the sno-ball, but she doesn’t make it a point in comparing the two.

“If somebody wants a sno-ball, they’re going to go get themselves a sno-ball,” she said. “I just try to get people to taste our Italian ices that we make fresh in the store almost every day. I don’t knock sno-balls, but we are definitely an alternative when someone wants a frozen treat. I just leave it up to them to decide after that.”

Own a Rita’s franchise

Find out how you can become a Rita’s franchisee by exploring our research pages or filling out the form on this page. We look forward to hearing from you!