Rita's to Roll Out First At-Home Consumption Product Offering

Rita’s, the nation’s largest Franchise specializing in Italian Ice treats, announced today it will introduce its first product specifically designed for consumers to take home and keep in their freezers. Beginning in March of 2006, more than 340 Rita’s locations nationwide will offer the Swirlati™, the first product in a line of Squeezers™ frozen push pops available in six-pack boxes.

“Rita’s Squeezers™ will give our customers the ability to enjoy their favorite dessert treat in the convenience of home any time they choose,” said Jim Rudolph, CEO of Rita’s. “Every season Rita’s owners are inundated with requests from customers for packaged take-home versions of their favorite Rita’s flavors. The development of Rita’s Squeezers™ line is the first step in making Rita’s products easily accessible for all our loyal customers.”

The Swirlati™ is a mixture of Rita’s legendary Cherry or Mango Italian Ice swirled together with rich and creamy vanilla custard. Rita’s Squeezers were successfully test marketed in 2004 at locations in Northampton, Lehigh, Schuylkill, Carbon and Monroe Counties in Pennsylvania and Warren County in New Jersey. The product testing was expanded in 2005 to over 250 locations throughout the Rita’s system. Rita’s Squeezers are also currently available at over 500 grocery store locations on the East Coast, including Redner’s, Giant, Weiss, Acme and Clemens Markets.

Lenny Valentino, Vice President of Business Development, is currently working on rapidly expanding grocery store availability in a number of supermarket chains throughout the country.

About Rita’s

Rita’s was founded in 1984 by former Philadelphia firefighter Bob Tumolo. Tumolo and his brother, John, began Franchising the concept in 1989. Today, Rita’s, now owned and operated by McKnight Capital Partners of Pittsburgh, thrives with over 340 locations in 12 states throughout the East Coast and as far West as Ohio. The company projects to have 1,500 locations open through franchise expansion by 2010.