| rev:text
| - I had a negative, FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE with Rita's Italian Ice on Rainbow Boulevard in Las Vegas.
Rita's Italian Ice is one of those places you hear about by word-of-mouth, so you go there and try it. But when I decided to experience Rita's myself, I felt like Charlie Brown, running to kick the football, only to be tricked by Lucy when she tugs it away. What do I mean? Well, after I enjoyed a nice dinner with a friend, he told me about Rita's, stating how the frozen custard was exceptional. So, I figured, "what the heck! -- Let's try it".
When we arrived, the place was packed. The staff was friendly and the store was clean. Everything one would expect. Customers were allowed to try 2-3-4 flavors if they wanted, which impressed me. Amidst all the sample-mooching, the staff was still respectful and pleasant. Then I found out why. This stuff isn't inexpensive, even in comparison to similar frozen yogurt/custard purveyors.
We ordered two "Blendinis" (basically akin to a McFlurry). They only come in one size. What we received were two small cups of custard that were filled below the rim. The custard was whirled into a vortex on the sides of the cups, with a hole straight down to the bottom. Mind you, the PICTURE of a "Blendini" at Rita's shows a cup OVERFLOWING with product--NOT something UNDER-FILLED and hollow down the center. Frankly, I felt cheated and frustrated.
The price? A whopping $10.50! (for both)...for MAYBE about 8 ounces TOTAL of product between the two Blendini's! Hell, even Ben & Jerry's only charges about $7.00 for two FULL PINTS of their product! I could have just gone to McDonald's across the way and ordered a McFlurry for half the cost! As my friend and I ate our Blendinis, we both agreed that the taste and texture were virtually identical to a McFlurry, anyway.
Sorry, Rita's. I don't believe your food costs are so high that your prices need to be so exorbitant. Caveat emptor, I guess. I probably wouldn't return to Rita's again, unless someone treats me...(lol). Their product just isn't exceptional enough to overcome the high price point. But mostly because their products weren't made according to how their advertising displays.
I've since contacted Rita's corporate office and relayed my concerns. They did respond, but ignored my comments about value & quality. Instead, they chose to educate me on the process of custard-making and how it differs from ice cream. But I already knew that, which is why I went to Rita's in the first place! Oh, Well. ;(
PS: Two weeks later, I received a hand-addressed letter envelope with no return address. Enclosed was eleven dollars cash, wrapped in a blank piece of Rita's notepaper. I assume that was a refund for my Blendinis (which I never requested). No gift card to encourage me to try Rita's again, no words on the note paper, no sender's name -- just cash. Hmmm. Ok.
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