The Royal Rita's Treatment

Daniel and I were fortunate enough to have the opportunity this morning to get a "behind the scenes" tour of a Rita's Water Ice location in Perkasie. The owner, Mrs. Lisa Feldman, was our gracious and generous hostess. We arrived an hour before the store was scheduled to open for the day, so Lisa and her husband Michael were in full prep mode. As busy as she was, Lisa cut no corners in showing us everything there is to know about operating a Rita's franchise.

Our main reason for being there? Cotton candy. No, really. Lisa's daughter Ilene is a big fan of the new flavor and when I mentioned it was one of Daniel's favorites, she suggested I obtain some for him...and quick! And that's how our VIP tour came to fruition. Daniel is obsessed with cooking and preparing food these days, so I knew it would be a thrilling experience for him. Once he took in all the sights, sounds, and smells, he began to feel more at ease. By the time we were ready to leave, he had pretty much commandeered the place.

First up was a lesson in making the water ice. Daniel loved pouring the cotton candy syrup into the machine and pushing the "start" button.

While we waited for our batch of water ice to set, Lisa showed us how she bakes the soft pretzels, fills the custard dispenser, and "mixes" the tubs of water ice to keep them from becoming lumpy and watery. We helped blow up some balloons to decorate the front of the store, and raided Lisa's "prize patrol" shelf for some tchotchkes. Daniel even got to watch the security camera footage from the comfort of Lisa's office (perhaps his favorite part of the whole tour). When all was said and done, and the crowd had begun to gather out front in anticipation of the store's 12:00 opening, we gathered up our goodies to go. Lisa sent us home with a quart of cotton candy and a quart of root beer (Peter's favorite), two soft pretzels, and a big smile on a certain 3-year-old's face.

Thank you to Lisa for making us feel so special. I suspect that Daniel will not forget his Rita's backlot tour for a very long time. It doesn't take a whole lot to entertain a child. A couple of buttons to push, a deflated balloon, the feeling that he's doing something extra-special. Oh, and a cup of delicious cotton candy water ice doesn't hurt!

This is what brain freeze looks like, my friends: