How will Rita's fly in California?
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How will Rita's fly in California?
To Philadelphians, it’s just “wooder” ice; to Californians, it’s a scientific wonder.
Orange County Register reporter Nancy Luna, a self proclaimed “fast food maven,” recalls the first time she tried a strawberry-flavored Rita’s Italian Ice two years ago.
“The fruit-flavored ice appeared to defy science,” she writes. “It's frozen, but semi-liquid at the same time.”
As part of its West Coast expansion, Rita’s will open 40 shops in the O.C. over the next few years.
The Philly favorite will be competition for at least one local shop. To give the residents an idea of what to expect, Luna interviewed Jonathan Fornaci, Rita’s chief executive: “It's not shaved ice. It's not a snow cone. It's water, fruit (purées) and sugar and you put it into a special machine that cools it to 22 degrees,” Fornaci explained. “I've lived all over the world, and I've never had anything like this product.”
See the article here.
San Diego wants Rita's like yesterday.— eaglescali- How stupid to NOT sell these in Cali. You can have open business all year round unlike 'round here.— CoettaGarner25
- Rita's used to be good when it had real fruit in it. Now it's cheap artificial flavoring.— GlennboWilson
- I haven't been to a Rita's for 10 years. Got tired of being ripped off for paying top dollar, for a tease of ice cream in their Gelati.— Anthony1957
- They have failed in Florida. Its more of a Philly thing. There are lots of Philly people here in Florida but it still failed. I know of at least 3 locations that closed here.
— johnsothermail
