Lovely Rita’s

C-Ville Weekly:

Chocolate ice? Please. For years, that’s what a skeptical Kate Matikonas would say whenever her husband, Rob, a New Jersey native, raved about Rita’s Ice. Rita’s is an Italian ice and frozen treat franchise with a heavy presence in the Northeast. When Matikonas finally had an opportunity to try the strange, flavored ice, however, she was sold. She was so smitten with Rita’s lineup of Italian ices, frozen custards and hybrid ice-custard concoctions that she agreed with Rob that they should sell the stuff themselves. They bought the rights to three Virginia franchises—1 in Gainesville and 2 in Charlottesville—and Matikonas, a UVA graduate of the architecture school, quit her job as a designer to open the first in the old Tropical Smoothie spot on University Avenue on May 17. (The Gainesville location will open in June, and the other Charlottesville shop is just an option at this point.)

The University Avenue locale is not your typical Rita’s set-up. Since the franchise began in 1989, they’ve mostly been standalone buildings with a walk-up window, and closed for the winter. Charlottesville’s Rita’s is tucked into a vintage Corner haunt (Matikonas recalls it was the site of Eljo’s when she matriculated), has indoor seating and will operate year-round.

No stranger to Rita’s, Restaurantarama thinks this particular location lends the ice shop a charm that’s lacking in the typical cookie-cutter franchise. Not that the charming old building didn’t cause its own problems. Continue reading.

Photo: Michael Johnson.