A CHIP OFF THE OLD (ICE ICE)) BLOCK A new generation scoops into a 30-year island tradition. BY BARRY KAUFMAN
To the thousands who live here and the millions who visit every year, summer tastes a lot like the deliriously sweet tang of an Italian ice, the creamy delectability of a frozen custard or even the best of both worlds found in a gelati. Our memories, precious moments of falling in love with Hilton Head, come flooding back when the salt-scented breeze meets the sweetness of something cold from Rita’s Italian Ice. “It’s become a staple of Hilton Head,” said David Tremarelli, who opened the shop three decades ago shortly after moving from outside of Philadelphia. “And now we’re serving the kids of the kids who used to come here.” This rite of passage has become part of countless family traditions, sampling your way through the litany of flavors until you’ve found your favorite. (At the risk of editorializing, the correct answer is cherry limeade, but your mileage may vary). You might be more of a mango strawberry. Maybe your summer memories taste like green apple. “We have in the neighborhood of 30 flavors, so if you need a suggestion, we can offer it,” said Tremarelli. Generally 38
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PHOTO BY ROB KAUFMAN
you’ll see between 8 and 12 of those flavors on any given day, all made fresh that morning. “People think we come in, flip on the light switch and open the doors, but we make the product we sell.” “The crazy thing is how much custard we sell. Our soft-serve custard is so rich and creamy you may never again scream for ice cream,” added David’s wife Karen. When the couple first decided to open the franchise on Hilton Head, their “perfect location” in a Coligny kiosk already housed a kite shop. “We had to buy the kite shop to open Rita’s, “ joked David. Karen ran Coligny Kite and Flag for 28 years, which they moved to a larger inline location in Coligny which housed the kiosk’s ice-making operation. With Karen selling her shop, they were able to move to their new second location at the base of the bridge across Coligny’s stunning koi pond. And that wasn’t the only big change to hit the island’s mainstay Italian ice stand in recent years. “We recently had a request for a job from our first legacy employee, which means our first hire whose parent worked here,” said David. “That makes you feel
old, so I thought it’s definitely time to retire.” Fortunately, he had a successor already hand-picked. Son Chip has been a part of the kiosk since he was 13 years old, helping to make the ice, scooping, preparing ingredients and working his way up. With David eyeing retirement, Chip is all set to take the reins. “My dad taught me everything about running the business. I just shadowed him and learned,” he said. It never felt like a job. It got easier and easier every year.” Right now, Chip is running the day-today operations of both locations, joking that “I’m allowing my dad to retire.” And with a 30-year legacy to uphold, he knows that Rita’s is a place where you can always find ways to improve, but there are some things that are already too perfect to change. “It never feels like the store is complete; there’s always something we can do,” he said. “I will definitely try some new things, but there’s a lot we’ll keep.” Across two stores and now two generations, Rita’s Italian Ice will continue to make summer a little bit sweeter for all of us.