Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard CEO and President Linda L. Chadwick (pictured above) will be featured on Undercover Boss, the CBS television series aired in the United States. In acting covertly, she was able to gain anonymity within the world of a Rita’s franchisee, resulting in impactful changes for the brand to help boost growth nationwide.
“Going undercover allowed me to get an inside-look in our shops, hear from franchisees and interact with their teams on a much more an impactful level,” said Chadwick. “This was not just a valuable experience to learn how the brand initiatives were working, but a chance to see the business through the eyes of our franchisees and discover what we need to do as an organization to help them become more profitable and grow the brand.”
In the episode, Chadwick was disguised as “Marcy Morgan,” a long-standing Rita’s fan and retired teacher from Massachusetts who wasn’t ready to leave the workforce and was considering becoming a franchisee. Chadwick visited three franchise locations during her undercover journey, where she was able to get a first-hand, behind-the-counter view into how these Rita’s shops were operating and learn more about the people running the businesses.
Beginning in Tom’s River, New Jersey, Chadwick joined the staff as a Treat Team member and was inspired by franchisee Hezrron Gonzales’s American Dream story. After moving from the Philippines, Hezrron worked at a Rita’s for ten years before saving up enough money to buy his own location and a mobile unit allowing him to cater events outside of his shop.
Chadwick then visited franchisee Stefani Nieves in Holland, Michigan, a working mom whose shop included the drive-through system being offered to Rita’s franchisees to help increase revenue. Her last stop was in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, where she worked alongside Chip Byers and Andrew Collins, franchisees committed to hiring employees with disabilities and autism.
As a result of her undercover mission, Chadwick discovered there were opportunities for the franchise organization to improve across areas of the business – staffing, operations and regional/community connection. Some key priorities for Chadwick coming out of the undercover experience include improving how franchisees are supported by the brand’s franchise consultants by updating its brand standards, communications and procedures – all geared towards improving unit economics for their franchisees. Additionally, she will engage franchisees with Rita’s research and development team to ensure the brand maximizes opportunities to leverage trends for system and/or regional development.
“Going undercover allowed me to get an inside-look in our shops, hear from franchisees and interact with their teams on a much more an impactful level,” said Chadwick. “This was not just a valuable experience to learn how the brand initiatives were working, but a chance to see the business through the eyes of our franchisees and discover what we need to do as an organization to help them become more profitable and grow the brand.”
In the episode, Chadwick was disguised as “Marcy Morgan,” a long-standing Rita’s fan and retired teacher from Massachusetts who wasn’t ready to leave the workforce and was considering becoming a franchisee. Chadwick visited three franchise locations during her undercover journey, where she was able to get a first-hand, behind-the-counter view into how these Rita’s shops were operating and learn more about the people running the businesses.
Beginning in Tom’s River, NJ, Chadwick joined the staff as a Treat Team member and was inspired by franchisee Hezrron Gonzales’s American Dream story. After moving from the Philippines, Hezrron worked at a Rita’s for ten years before saving up enough money to buy his own location and a mobile unit allowing him to cater events outside of his shop. Chadwick then visited franchisee Stefani Nieves in Holland, MI, a working mom whose shop included the drive-thru system being offered to Rita’s franchisees to help increase revenue. Her last stop was in Lake Buena Vista, FL, where she worked alongside Chip Byers and Andrew Collins, franchisees committed to hiring Treat Team members with disabilities and autism.
Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard, founded in 1984 in the greater Philadelphia area, has nearly 550 shops across the USA and Asia, and claims to be the largest Italian ice franchise concept in the world.
