Have you ever wondered how Rita's makes its famous Italian Ice? How does the texture come out so smooth and creamy? And are those chunks of fresh fruit I taste in my Banana Gelati? Well then, do I have a treat for you. No, it’s not free Rita’s, unfortunately. But, you will have the opportunity to see how Rita’s makes its tasty Italian Ice when Rita’s appears on Unwrapped this spring. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the show, Unwrapped is the number 1 rated program on the Food Network. The premise of the show is to uncover behind-the-scenes details on classic American food, including, you guessed it, Italian Ice!
The Unwrapped shoot took place on Tuesday, September 9th, at Rita’s Cool University, and boy was it a fun day (and I’m not just saying that because I had a never-ending supply of Pumpkin Pie Ice at my disposal). The Food Network couldn’t have sent us a better crew to work with. Laurie Brian and Brian Tiell fit right in with the Rita’s family. They spent the day sampling different flavors of Italian Ice, mingling with the guests and sharing stories from previous Unwrapped shoots.
Jim Rudolph, CEO of Rita’s, started the shoot off with a candid interview. Mr. Rudolph talked about a variety of topics from the history of Rita’s to the training process for new franchise partners to Rita’s most popular Italian Ice flavor, which happens to be Mango (my second favorite after Pumpkin Pie, can you tell I LOVE Rita’s yet?). From there, Bob Hollawell, Research & Development Associate at Rita’s, took the Unwrapped crew through the entire ice-making process, from preparing the ingredients to pumping the ice (don’t worry, you will hear all about pumping the ice on Unwrapped). Both Jim and Bob did an absolutely AMAZING job; they truly are naturals on camera. I just hope Hollywood doesn’t steal them away from us after their big debut!
I would like to give a special thanks to the entire staff at Rita’s Cool University. Not only were they on stand-by the day of the shoot to provide a helping hand where necessary, but they even held a “cleaning party” to ensure the store was ready for national TV. I was truly touched by their dedication, support and passion for Rita’s.
As soon as I know the date of the Unwrapped Segment, I will be sure to update this blog entry. In the meantime, go treat yourself to a Rita’s Ice, you deserve it!