This month, our local business profile is on Rita’s Italian Ice!  Read on to learn more about Jeff Navarro and his parents, Ray and Kathy, who own this Bethel Park staple!

New at your Bethel Park Rita’s!

  • Newest flavor – Gummy Bear Ice (gummy bear flavored ice filled with mini gummy bears).
  • A new Coffee Beverage Line! Slated to being mid-April, the line will feature cold brewed coffee drinks similar to a Misto Shake consistency.  We heard that everyone who’s tried them said that they’re delicious!
  • A re-focus on Rita’s classics offering variations of the flavors you love the most so that you can simply select and order delicious desserts such as the Mudslide consisting of vanilla custard, peanut butter sauce and Reese’s peanut butter cups blended and stuffed with hot fudge in the middle!
  • And, of course, freshly made ice flavors that change daily. Did you know that mango is the #1 seller and most popular flavor?!  There’s also one daily sugar-free ice option plus four different flavors of custard each day (twists too such as black raspberry and banana).  Custard flavors change monthly with vanilla and chocolate always on the menu.

BACKGROUND

Having lived and grown up in Bethel Park, Jeff Navarro and his parents Ray and Kathy, often drove by Rita’s Ice in Bethel Park and thought that it would be a good business to own.  “One day it went up for sale and my parents and I talked it over and after some thought, decided to buy it,” said Jeff.  “We started the purchasing process in 2009 and took ownership in 2011.  That was our first season and coincidentally, it was also the year that I got married!  So, that was an extremely hectic year for sure!”

According to Jeff, the first season was a whirlwind.  “It involved a lot of learning such as going through Rita’s training process along with a lot of learning as you go,” he said.  “That year, I didn’t have one day off except for Easter, but it was a successful season and when it was over, we all took a needed deep breath.”

Rita’s is now mandated to open March 1 and must stay open through a prescribed Rita’s closure date.  “But, we can stay open longer and we often do depending on the weather,” said Jeff.  “Last year, we stayed open through mid-November, but as you get further into the fall, people get colder and don’t want ice as much, so we know when it’s time to shut for the season.”

Jeff has put his culinary and management background to good use over the years at his store.

“I went to the PA Culinary Institute for Culinary Arts and from there worked at a private club.  I then went to Robert Morris University for Hospitality Management and over the following years was a manager for several restaurants including Bob Evans, Max & Erma’s and Buffalo Wild Wings.  So, that experience has been extremely helpful.  And, it’s so nice to now have both Thanksgiving and Christmas off!  Before we owned Rita’s, I hadn’t had those holidays off for 10 years!”

Ray and Kathy Navarro also work at the store with Jeff running a lot of the day-to-day operations.  Jeff’s wife, Elise, and 7-year-old daughter Natalya also jump in where needed with Natalya saying her best job is being the official taste tester!

“We’ve definitely had some good times over the years, but the best part is working with my family!” said Jeff.  “We’ve kind of gone against the grain of the saying, ‘you shouldn’t go into business with your family.’ It’s been such a pleasure to work with my parents each day and get to know and relate to them in a different way by working together.  And, having my wife and daughter help out occasionally is great.”

Jeff also spoke about how wonderful it’s been over the years to meet so many nice people starting out as Rita’s employees and watching them move forward in their careers to become successful members of society.

“It’s nice to think that we may have played a small part in that,” he said.  “For example, there was a girl and her father that I waited on from when she was 8 years old, and later and she applied, and we hired her; I felt like I knew her! That’s just one example of how wonderful it’s been watching young people develop their careers.”

He also spoke about the many people he’s met at the window.

“I’ve met incredible people through the window in just a two-minute transaction and have become friends with many of them.  Obviously, you go into business for financial reasons, but seeing my parents every day, watching kids you get to know go on and succeed, and gaining relationships with people that you wouldn’t have otherwise met is amazing,” said Jeff.

PRODUCTS/SERVICES

Rita’s started out offering only Italian ice and frozen custard, but now offers regular ice, cups or cones of custard, signature gelati (layers of Italian ice and custard),  Misto Shakes, milkshakes, a Blendini, frozen drinks, Concrete (creamy, rich, thick custard loaded with tasty toppings), and various take-home products.

According to Jeff, Rita’s catering has also evolved.  “We offer big tubs of ice for graduation parties, office events, picnics, you name it.  We also do a lot of catering for schools; they’re moving to prepackaged cups of ice where we’re given a number and we prepackage ice into cups with lids and they can hand the cups directly to the kids.”

The store also offers a fundraising card that they sell to organizations for $1 and can be resold for $5.  The cards offer 10% off every visit to Rita’s for the season.  “The card pays for itself and it’s an easy means for organizations to raise money with a pretty good return on investment,” said Jeff.

WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE BETHEL PARK RESIDENTS TO KNOW ABOUT RITA’S?

“We’ve been part of the Bethel Park community for over 40 years.  I grew up here, played baseball here and love this community,” said Jeff.  “I have a lot of loyalty to Bethel Park and enjoy helping out sponsoring baseball teams and other organizations.  We appreciate the loyalty that Bethel Park has given to us and we try to support the community as much as possible.”

He also spoke about difficulties during COVID.

“During COVID, we were closed for several weeks and began slowly opening with just online ordering.  During that time, the community helped us by ordering and supporting us knowing the struggles we and all small businesses were going through.  We’re definitely lucky to have Bethel Park as our community!”

FINAL NOTES

Staffing has been a challenge for Rita’s as it’s been for many other businesses.

“Staffing has definitely been more difficult as the years have gone by with the last three or so being the most difficult,” said Jeff.  “We primarily employ students, and they’re very busy with a lot of activities and responsibilities outside of school so it makes it hard for them to meet the requirements of a job schedule.  So, we’re always hiring and always looking for people!”

If you’re interested in working for Rita’s please visit – www.ritasbethelpark.com.

RITA’S ITALIAN ICE

5029 Library Rd,

Bethel Park 15102

412-854-5299

www.ritasbethelpark.com

HOURS

Monday – Sunday:  12-9 p.m.