Rita's in major expansion.

Rita's, the nation's largest Italian Ice chain has announced the awarding of franchise agreements that will result in the company expanding its number of locations by one-third. The company, which just opened its 400th unit in Hoboken, NJ, has already signed 126 franchise agreements, the most it has entered into in a single year since it began franchising in 1989. From June through August, 79 franchise agreements were awarded, making it the biggest quarter in the company's history. The new franchise agreements will see an increase in Rita's locations in Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, New York, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia. In addition, Georgia and North Carolina will have their first Rita's, with 14 stores slated to open in the two states.

The biggest push will be in New Jersey, where 32 new franchises have been awarded. While the Philadelphia-based Rita's has been a presence in the Garden State since 1991, the company is expanding its presence in the more heavily populated northern part of the state. In recent years Rita's has opened stores in Essex, Bergen, Union and Hudson Counties. The company currently has more than I00 stores in New Jersey. In addition, twenty-one franchise agreements have been signed for Rita's home state of Pennsylvania.

"The growth of Rita's popularity is really amazing," said Tom Spadea, Director of Franchising at Rita's Water Ice Franchise Company, LLC. "Transplants from the northeast and people who got their first taste of Rita's at one of our resort stores while on vacation have helped Rita's become much more than a strictly Philadelphia phenomenon."

Rita's, the nation's largest Italian Ice chain, reports that it now has more than 390 locations in operation and another 30 under construction. Operations are primarily on the East Coast, but also extend as far west as Ohio. Rita's was recently named one of the Top 25 Franchise High Performers by the Wall Street Journal's "Startup Journal."