When Keila Trace worked her first job as a teenager at Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard, she found herself impressed by how the business leaders encouraged good character and a strong balance between school, personal life and work.
Today, 25 years later, she is the franchisee for two Rita’s locations herself.
“What I enjoy is working with the kids and the staff (like my bosses once did). Seventy-five percent of my staff, it’s their first job,” Trace said. “I enjoy teaching them and helping them to understand.”
Trace officially opens the Rita’s at 731 Wayne Ave., Chambersburg, on Wednesday, May 8. The grand opening is then scheduled for Saturday, May 18.
“It’s going to be a fun, community event,” she said of the grand opening, saying giveaways, discounts and a visit from the Ice Guy mascot are on the schedule, as is a chance for 50 people to win free ice treats for a year if they arrive starting at 3 p.m.
Regular hours for the business will be noon to 9 p.m. seven days a week through Memorial Day, with a shift then occurring to 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. over the summer.
Twenty-six employees, including two experienced managers, trained for eight hours Sunday. Trace took their samples to Chambersburg Hospital and appreciated how kind the recipients were.
Trace and her husband, Mark, oversee the Rita’s in Frederick, Md., where the sales are the fifth-highest among Rita’s system.
“It’s a high-volume shop that does very well,” she said.
As their friends and family asked them to bring products to special events, the Traces considered whether to open a store in their hometown of Chambersburg. The previous Rita’s there closed eight years ago.
The couple worked on the project for a year and coordinated with the Rita’s parent company to modernize the façade, create a digital drive-thru, accommodate DoorDash and Uber Eats, and add a fenced patio that can accommodate 60 people.
“Everything we had in mind design wise really came together,” Trace said.
Her goal is to have a pedestrian-friendly location with a bike rack and three, walk-up windows. She hopes customers bring their grandchildren, meet with friends or enjoy a first date.
Rita’s product line has evolved since the Chambersburg location closed. It now includes “blenders” (drinkable ice or gelati), custard cookie sandwiches and cold brew coffee.
Trace’s favorite water ice flavor is a Sour Patch Kids watermelon.
“My slogan is dessert first,” she said.
