Many Clarendon Hills residents were quite sad when The Daily Scoop ice cream shop in the village’s downtown closed its doors for good in October 2024 after being in business for more than 22 years.
Now, frozen treats will return to the village with the planned September opening of Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard at 22 S. Prospect Ave., the former site of Four Sons Mercantile, which closed at the end of March.
While Rita’s will be new to Clarendon Hills as a brick-and-mortar presence, those attending some events in the village last year were able to get a taste of what’s to come.
“The Chamber was fortunate to have Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard participate at many of our Chamber events last year, and I was so excited to learn that they are opening a location in our downtown,” said Shannon McDonald, the Chamber’s executive director.
McDonald said Andrea Magee, a Clarendon Hills resident, organized an ice cream pop-up last summer and invited a variety of vendors. One of those was Rita’s.
“After seeing neighbors lined up at the old bus stop for frozen treats, I connected with (owner) Abdull (Masad) about participating in Dancin’ in the Street,” McDonald said. “Since then, we’ve heard positive feedback about Rita’s, especially appreciation for its dairy-free and vegan options.”
Rita’s is an over 40-year-old Philadelphia-based company with more than 500 locations across the country, all of which are franchised. Along with a mobile unit that travels around the Chicago area, Masad has had a Rita’s store in Oak Lawn for almost 10 years and is looking forward to being in Clarendon Hills.
“I had never heard of Clarendon Hills until the first time I arrived there, and it instantly felt like home,” he said. “The people we’ve managed to deal with from village staff, to the residents themselves, have been so refreshing to us. It reminded us why we got into the ice cream business, and it was to put smiles on families’ faces.”
Masad said he is aware that Rita’s will have a large void to fill, after The Daily Scoop closed.
“We have heard so many wonderful things about them,” he said. “It’s unfortunate they had to move on from the village, and we hope we can establish a presence in the community as well. Hopefully, we, too, can be a place for families to celebrate happy moments with.”
Masad said Rita’s serves more than 60 different Italian ice flavors, along with its frozen custard and added that customers may expect “exceptional service” from him, his family and employees.
“We serve wonderful treats, but we also hope to become a pillar of the community for years to come,” he said.
While Masad doesn’t expect to open his new store until September, he said Rita’s will be present for summer events, such as Daisy Days and Dancin’ in The Street.
When the store does open, hours tentatively will be from noon to 10 p.m.
“We intend to try our best to be open year-round, but we are not closing the door on possibly shutting down for a month or two in the winter,” Masad said.
Ed Cage, Clarendon Hills’ community development director, is very pleased to see Rita’s coming to town.
“As soon as we were informed that a key commercial space was to become available in the heart of our downtown, we thought of Rita’s as a perfect fit for this location,” he said. “There was also community clamor for an ice cream vendor in our downtown.”
Omar Chaudhry, a member of the Clarendon Hills Village Board, said a recent community survey confirmed that a family-friendly dessert destination is a top priority for residents.
“Securing Rita’s is a major win for our downtown,” he said. “It perfectly represents that ‘Modern Mayberry’ spirit, where neighbors meet on the sidewalk and kids can grab a treat after school.
“We are proud to be a town where a business owner can test the waters, fall in love with our residents, and decide to plant deep roots.”
Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
