ST. PETERSBURG – When Frank and Valerie Brown opened their Rita’s Italian Ice on 66th Street in St. Pete in late July, they weren’t just launching another franchise. They were bringing a piece of their childhood to the community with a goal of connecting with families and sharing the comfort of something cold and sweet.

“It’s a place for families,” Valerie said. “It’s something that the kids are going to remember, because it really is a part of my childhood. It’s coming here after the game, the celebration, birthday party, just spending time with dad. You just come here and have a good time. We could be doing anything, and it makes us happy to be here.”

Originally from Pennsylvania, where Rita’s began, the Browns grew up eating Italian ice and moved to St. Petersburg about 14 years ago. Frank spent decades in restaurant management and hospitality, and over time, he and Valerie discussed the idea of opening a place of their own.

Their goal was to create a space that felt less transactional — somewhere they could be more involved in the community and that felt a little bit like home.

They installed a walk-up window in addition to indoor seating, an option most locations up north don’t offer. Valerie said she had to include the window in the design because it was “nostalgic,” a reminder of the times she and her brother visited Rita’s as kids.

“We really want to embed ourselves in the community,” Frank said. “As a family that owns a business, we want to support the families.”

While some people hear the word “franchise” and imagine a rigid corporate model, Frank said the origins of Rita’s tell a different story — one that reminded him of the times his grandfather would buy Italian ice from the store and eat it with the classic wooden spoons.

The business began in 1984, when former Philadelphia firefighter Bob Tumolo started selling Italian ice from his front porch and named it after his wife, Rita. Today, the brand has grown to more than 550 locations in 30 states, each individually owned and operated.

“We want to be a partner with the community,” Frank said. “It’s not the business side of things; it’s the social and community involvement.”

That philosophy is what drew the Browns to the brand. Rita’s encourages franchise owners to host school nights, fundraisers and local events, something the couple have already embraced.

Since opening, they have taken part in a “scoop night” fundraiser with the Osceola High School bowling team, donating a portion of sales to the program. They have also partnered with Blanton Elementary School for a similar event and plan to continue working with local schools and organizations.

“We support the schools because we’re a big kid business,” Frank said. “That’s sort of our niche, doing things for the community. The best way we can serve is to help them in their schools, because we have an opportunity to do that.”

The company also supports national causes, including a long-standing partnership with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, which raises money for childhood cancer research. Rita’s has helped the foundation raise more than $5 million since 2006, Frank said.

Behind the counter, making Italian ice involves a process customers might not expect.

The frozen treats are produced in proprietary batch machines using filtered water and fresh ingredients, and some flavors require months of research and development before being released, Frank said.

“A lot of people think that it’s just ice that’s flavored, and that’s not the case,” he said. “We make the water and ingredients into the ice. There’s a lot more science behind it than I knew.”

Frank said what keeps people returning isn’t just the product — it’s the experience.

“It’s the feeling you get when you walk in and it’s like you’re in the right spot,” he said. “Just growing up knowing Rita’s for so long, I got that feeling when I first went.”

Many parents tell him they visited a Rita’s when they were young, he said. Over time, they grow up, become parents themselves and bring their own kids, passing the tradition to the next generation.

The shop is preparing for one of the brand’s traditions: the first day of spring celebration on March 20, when Rita’s locations give away free Italian ice throughout the day.

“We’ll be selling all our regular treats as well, but the ice is going to shine that day,” Valerie said.

For the Browns, having a place of their own means everything.