Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, the fast-growing dessert chain, is showing no signs of slowing down, with several new locations coming to the Phoenix area.
The Floida-based company currently has five locations in Arizona, with new sites coming to Marana and Deer Valley. Franchise owner Steve Fields will be the operator of the latter, located at 3049 W. Agua Fria Fwy. He tells What Now Phoenix that this is the first of many locations he’s working on and expects to open in May 2023. Next, Fields will open a new drive-through location in Glendale, hopefully in the 3rd quarter of 2024, along with a new site in Surprise, opening around the same time.
Founder and CEO Jeremy Litwack started the company in 1996 but didn’t start franchising until 2019. Since then, the company has awarded over 260 franchise units across more than 115 franchise groups and has seen over a 350% increase in new units in less than four years. Jeremiah’s Italian Ice recently showcased this growth when it opened its 100th location in Winter Garden, Florida, at the beginning of this year. As a result of this massively successful expansion, the brand was also recognized last year as one of QSR’s Best Brands to Work For and as a part of Franchise Times Top 500.
“Next year, we are targeting a record-breaking 45 new locations,” Chief Operating Officer Nicole DiPietro said in a press release. “We plan on expanding within our newer markets of Texas, Alabama, the Carolinas, Nevada, Georgia, Arizona, and Tennessee. We really want to build off of the rapid growth and the momentum of such a successful year of franchising in 2022.”
Another reason for the company’s massive success in branching out throughout the country is a brand-new site prototype that is built from the ground up. The new 1,500-square-foot free-standing location made its debut on November 15 in Locust, NC, and features a drive-thru, two overhead garage doors that open to the outdoor seating, a covered and heated outdoor patio, and Jeremiah’s signature graffiti murals enhancing the interior and exterior design.
