All of Modesto, valley Rita’s Italian Ice close. Here’s what’s going in their place
Fans of Rita’s Italian Ice in Modesto and throughout the Central Valley could be going Mango Crazy soon instead.
Five of the region’s Rita’s Italian Ice shops, a national chain that sells frozen ice and custard treats, have closed. Those locations — in Modesto, Turlock, Ceres, Atwater and Lathrop — are now all being converted to Mango Crazy.
Central Valley-based Rita’s Italian Ice franchise owner Nick Schutte brought the brand to the San Joaquin Valley at the start of 2016. His first Rita’s was in the Safeway shopping center at the corner of McHenry and Briggsmore avenues, and he has opened four other locations since in the region including one in Turlock’s Monte Vista Crossings shopping center in 2018.
Schutte said issues with the franchise and corporate parents forced him to close all of his locations by the end of last year, leaving the closest open Rita’s now in Manteca and Stockton. Now he is working closely with Mango Crazy founders and owners Andy Lopez and Larry Rivera to help them transform the empty stores to their concept.
Mango Crazy launched in 2014 with a single shop in the Village One Plaza shopping center. About a year later, they expanded to a second, drive-thru location on Kansas Avenue. Then in December 2018, they opened a third location on San Francisco’s famed Fisherman’s Wharf. Last summer, they added a food truck at downtown’s Modesto Grub Hubs food truck court.
Mango Crazy is known for its take on Mexican street food-inspired sweet and savory dishes, from mangonada fruit cups and ice cream to seafood ceviche bowls and tostilokos.
Adding the five former Rita’s shops will more than double the business’ local footprint. Plus, the company has been working on its own new location Turlock on Geer Road, meaning at total of six new spots this year.
It’s an ambitious move that Lopez and Rivera say has been borne out of strong and steady increases in sales and customers. The new Rita’s locations are all around the same size as existing Mango Crazy shops, about 1,200 square feet, with a long counter with cases for its frozen treats and more.
“We were interested in the (Rita’s) locations because their footprint fits what we do,” Rivera said. “Mango Crazy will be a great fit in those spots, and we want to thank the community for supporting us as we grow.”
The first converted Mango Crazy location will be in Ceres, in the same shopping center as Food4Less at the corner of Mitchell and Hatch roads. That shop, which has already been repainted and just passed its inspections, will open March 21.
After that, expect the Monte Vista Crossings location in Turlock and the Shaffer Road site in Atwater to open in April, followed by the Modesto location at Briggsmore and McHenry and the Lathrop site on Harlan Road in May.
To staff all of those sites, Lopez and Rivera expect to hire 10 to 12 employees per shop. They currently have about 40 to 50 staff between their four sites, but once all the new locations are up and running, that will grow to about 125 employees. People looking for jobs are encouraged to stop by any of the locations to inquire about employment.
Mango Crazy is also acquiring Schutte’s two Rita’s food trucks, which will be converted to Mango Crazy and used for events, caterings and more.
And Lopez and Rivera aren’t done making improvements. By this summer, they plan to debut more menu items, particularly savory items for people looking to grab lunch or dinner.
They said the San Francisco location has been doing very well for them, and helped to expand their brand and introduce a whole new audience of people to their food. They’ve done caterings in the Bay Area for Facebook, Instagram, the Warriors and Nike.
They’re also considering franchising their brand, and have already fielded interest from people in Arizona, Nevada, Florida and as far away as India.
“It’s a lot, but we’re up to the challenge,” Lopez said.
For more on Mango Crazy, visit its website at mangocrazy.com.
This story was originally published March 12, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
