Rita’s Italian Ice opens another shop selling frozen treats in Manatee County
Rita’s Italian Ice recently opened its Shoppes at University Town Center store.
The quick-service chain, specializing in frozen desserts, is located next to Sprinkles Cupcakes at 8539 Cooper Creek Blvd.
Rita’s, which has a slogan of “ice custard happiness,” serves Italian ice, frozen custard and gelati. Italian ice consists of dissolved sugar and fruit juices, while gelati has layers of Italian ice with frozen custard.
Rita’s has 95 rotating flavors for its Italian ice, which is made fresh daily, according to the company’s website. Mango is the most popular Italian ice flavor, followed by cherry and Swedish Fish.
The new shop is in a 1,356-square-foot building on the north side of University Parkway off Cooper Creek Boulevard.
According to company history, former Philadelphia firefighter Bob Tumolo founded Rita’s in 1984. He named the restaurant after his wife. There are locations in 30 states.
Rita’s opened a Manatee County store in 2023 at 1731 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. and is planning to open a shop in the Creekside Commons plaza at 8730 U.S. 301 N. in Parrish, according to building records.
This story was originally published September 2, 2025 at 5:50 AM.
