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Rita’s Italian Ice Plans 10 Dallas Drive-Thru Units
Kyle Wiborg leads a 10-unit drive-thru push as Rita’s Italian Ice opens its first DFW site and targets rapid expansion amid a growing frozen desserts market.
Photo by Moriah Manford
Dallas Launch Kicks Off
Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard is accelerating into Dallas.
Experienced Dallas entrepreneur Kyle Wiborg is leading a 10-unit franchise agreement to extend the brand’s reach in a market that currently hosts just two shops. On July 1, 2026, the first of four year-round drive-thru shops launched in North Richland Hills at 8900 N Tarrant Pkwy, with local officials and chamber representatives scooping the ceremonial first serves.
Wiborg’s Roots
The brand has lagged Houston, Austin and San Antonio, so this opening lands with extra weight.
Backed by experience in finance and a family steeped in franchising, Wiborg brings both rigor and a personal connection to the product. His father, Steve Wiborg, has owned and managed Burger King and Taco Bell franchises, while Kyle spent several years structuring deals across the restaurant sector.
Personal Tie And Capital
He first encountered Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard while traveling; “I stopped by Rita’s and it hit me instantly. It was the most refreshing thing I’ve ever had, and from that moment, Rita’s had been in the back of my mind,” he said.
According to LegalClarity, Rita’s Italian Ice is owned by Maple Park Capital Partners, signaling strong investment backing for its next growth phase.
Scale And Recognition
Systemwide, Rita’s counts 610 locations and has 20 more slated to open by year-end 2026, and it continues earning national recognition, ranking No. 198 on Entrepreneur’s 2025 Franchise 500 and No. 211 on Restaurant Business’s 2024 Top 500 list.
According to RestaurantNews.com, the brand closed 2025 having surpassed 600 locations worldwide, reinforcing its status as the largest Italian Ice concept on the planet.
Prototype For Texas
The Dallas build leans into a drive-thru and patio-forward prototype that marries convenience with the brand’s nostalgia-driven guest experience. The new design adapts second-generation real estate by right-sizing double drive-thru lanes into single lanes and converting excess square footage into shaded patios, a feature central to family relaxation.
As president and CEO Linda Chadwick explains, this model “stays with the core of what we built and the drive-thru allows us to expand on that. The patios are important for Texas… our whole theme… is tied to nostalgia and relaxing with your family.”
Engagement And Focus
The North Richland Hills shop is the first of four drive-thru sites planned across the DFW metro area.
Wiborg emphasizes value and community engagement as pillars of his Dallas strategy: “From my experience in finance, I knew that if I would have a store in the future, I wanted it to include a drive-thru focus.” Chadwick is looking for on-the-ground energy to match that format.
Community Activation
“We want franchisees who get out in the community. Kyle’s been doing that, he’s been getting out there, making contacts and getting to know everybody. We do a lot of catering, sports events and community events.”
Under Wiborg’s agreement, the first four of his 10 Dallas stores are slated to open by December 31, 2026, creating an immediate footprint and visibility.
Near Term Openings
This near-term milestone dovetails with Rita’s broader system cadence, as 20 more openings are on tap by year-end under existing franchise agreements.
Frozen desserts are enjoying a steady lift. The U.S. frozen desserts market is estimated at USD 106.05 billion in 2026, growing at a 4.11% CAGR through 2031, driven by demand for novelty and convenience offerings.
Market Growth Signals
According to Research and Markets, premium and regular ice cream account for roughly 80% of that segment, underscoring the strength of established concepts.
Globally, Grand View Research valued the frozen dessert market at USD 125.9 billion in 2023 and projects it will reach USD 166.7 billion by 2030.
Competitive Benchmarks
Competitive benchmarks point to the pull of drive-thru dessert models, from Whit’s Frozen Custard, which operates 103 units across 10 states as of May 2026, to Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, ranked No. 43 on QSR Magazine’s QSR 50 with 421 franchise locations.
Questions remain as Dallas scales from a two-store base.
Execution Variables
Brand awareness must grow quickly, and the hunt for drive-thru-capable sites can collide with permit timelines.
Franchise performance metrics for dessert-focused drive-thrus are less established than those for core QSRs, which makes future same-store sales and ROI projections variable. Local supply-chain capacity and labor market tightness may further influence unit economics in the DFW area.
Outlook And Scalability
By coupling a nostalgia-rich concept with drive-thru convenience and community integration, this 10-unit Dallas push represents a strategic bet on evolving consumer behaviors.
If early openings meet performance targets, Kyle Wiborg’s multi-unit framework could serve as a template for further in-market density across North Texas, and for Rita’s corporate leadership and franchise investors, the initiative will test the scalability of patio-enhanced prototypes and confirm the brand’s capacity to turn pent-up demand into sustainable growth.