D.C. Sisters Celebrate 20 Years Of Rita’s Italian Ice Franchise Ownership

The Rita’s Italian Ice franchise is an iconic brand with an almost 40-year history of unique frozen treats. Sisters Angela Brock and Charnita Brock Walker have been with the franchise for half of those 40 years, successfully owning and operating three locations in and around Washington, DC. Their first location is on the cusp of celebrating a 20-year milestone. BLACK ENTERPRISE is pleased to highlight this tremendous achievement, sharing with readers how the Brock sisters got their entrepreneurial start twenty years ago and continued to build through challenging economic conditions.

Angela received a Business Management and Marketing degree from Bowie State University, completed the Government Contracts program at George Washington University, and has a Professional Residential Sales degree from the Graduate Real Estate Institute. She is also a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Charnita holds a degree from Penn State University in Business Logistics, Harvard University in Strategic Management, and Cornell University in Advanced Employee Relations, and is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

What led the Brock sisters to franchising was their desire to bring a business that was new and different to their native Washington, DC, area. “The Rita’s brand was ideal because, with the seasonal factors, it was a great opportunity to continue in our career jobs and take advantage of the 8-month seasonal opening. It seemed doable and exciting. We love the product, and we knew our friends and family would be supportive,” shared Angela.

Growing Pains

The Brock Women currently have three locations. Their first store opened in August 2005 in the Woodridge neighborhood of Washington, DC. The second location opened in the Capital One Arena in 2014, home to the NHL’s Washington Capitals and the NBA’s Washington Wizards teams. Their most recent expansion was in 2023 into the Northwest Stadium in Landover, MD, home to the NFL’s Washington Commanders.

When considering expansion, Angela explained, “Location played an integral part in our DC Franchise decision. We developed our business plan to support the neighborhood where we were raised. We are the FIRST Rita’s Water Ice location in Washington, DC., and we knew that the impact would be significant to the area. As a seasonal business, we also knew that staffing was important. So, we built a relationship with the local high schools that we attended so that they could send us their best 16-year-old students that were eager to work. Because we were opening a business that was new and different to the DC community, it was important for us to do a substantial amount of local store marketing to get the product tasted. Once you taste the product, YOU’RE HOOKED!”

While that expansion was the right move for the Brocks, it wasn’t without challenges, particularly those related to being the first to market with a new brand and being African American women.

“Unfortunately, as Black Women, we are always going to face challenges. With restaurant ownership being largely male-dominated, we always had to go the extra mile to be recognized, and we did just that! Specifically, within Rita’s Franchise, there were very few Black owners when we became owners. We felt that it was our responsibility to do well and represent both women AND Blacks. Throughout the past 20 years, we have accomplished that by opening additional locations, and winning awards for Top Sales Volume, Top Sales Increase, Media Ambassador Award, and Highest Special Venue Sales. We sought to build this business as entrepreneurs, wanting to bring positive change to our community. The desire to bring a great product to Washington, DC, and to teach young future leaders about business ownership has never diminished our success.”

However, being triple minorities in this space did provide opportunities. “Because we are the minority, we stand out in the crowd. We take that opportunity to make sure that we are memorable by breaking barriers, exceeding expectations, and giving back to the community,” explained Angela.

Community Role Models

The Brock’s business goes far beyond serving up delicious Italian ice desserts. They are known in the DC community for their small acts of kindness and commitment to giving back. Partnering with the OCASE Foundation for an annual backpack giveaway to ensure children have the supplies they need for school has led to the distribution of 15,000 backpacks over the last eight years, as well as in-kind donations for local charity events and financial contributions for the Delta Sigma Theta DC Alumni Chapter & Washington DC Pan Hellenic Council.

From their work with the community, it’s pretty clear what’s at the heart of what they do. Other than their focus on community, I wanted to know, after a successful 20 years and multi-unit ownership in franchising, what advice they would have for our up-and-coming entrepreneurs:

Begin with a solid business plan that shows WHO will run the business. Know the difference between being an investor and an operator/owner.
Have a good accountant and tax advisor.
Be willing to work in ALL aspects of the business.