Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard, the largest Italian Ice concept in the world with more than 600 locations, is activating a limited-time brand partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery's TBS network through August 23, anchored by a new Shirley Temple Italian Ice flavor and a four-item co-branded menu.
The collaboration, titled A Shirley Good Time, marks one of the more structured media-brand tie-ins the Philadelphia-area chain has executed, combining a seasonal LTO menu, a national mobile tour, and a social-media sweepstakes — a format increasingly common among quick-service and fast-casual operators seeking to convert media audiences into in-store traffic.
The LTO Menu
The four limited-time items each carry a TBS comedy theme: the Bazinga Blast (inspired by The Big Bang Theory) layers Shirley Temple Italian Ice with a proprietary "Shirley Sparkle" topping; the Office Favorite combines Vanilla Frozen Custard with the new ice; the Brain Freeze Misto blends both into a custard-ice hybrid; and the Central Chiller Ice Blender delivers a beverage format built on the Shirley Temple base. Participating locations will carry limited-edition co-branded cups and in-store signage while supplies last.
"After introducing our new Shirley Temple Ice, we wanted to build an experience that celebrates everything people love about summer — from nostalgic flavors to iconic television moments," said Carmela Hughley, SVP of Marketing Insights & Innovation at Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard.
The Truck Tour and Sweepstakes
Beyond the four walls, Rita's and TBS will operate a Shirley Good Time Treat Truck Tour across select markets this summer. Specific tour dates and cities have not yet been disclosed; the companies say stop details will be announced in coming weeks. The mobile component reflects a broader industry push by franchise foodservice brands to extend trial occasions outside permanent locations.
A concurrent sweepstakes awards three winners a year of free Rita's Ice plus a co-branded merchandise pack. Entry requires posting original content on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok featuring a Shirley Temple treat from Rita's, tagging @RitasIce, and including the hashtags #AShirleyGoodTime and #RitasItalianIce — a user-generated-content structure designed to amplify organic reach at minimal media cost.
"The best partnerships create experiences that extend beyond the screen," said Melissa Chambless, EVP of Marketing at Warner Bros. Discovery. "A Shirley Good Time brings together iconic comedies, nostalgic flavors, and fan-focused experiences designed to spark connection."
Loyalty and Distribution Context
Rita's is using the campaign to drive downloads of its loyalty app, offering new members one free small Ice, Custard, or Gelati upon sign-up and first purchase. Loyalty program integration has become a standard conversion mechanism in seasonal LTO campaigns across the frozen-dessert segment, as operators look to convert promotional foot traffic into repeat visits with measurable data capture.
Founded in Bensalem, Pennsylvania in 1984, Rita's positions its Italian Ice — made fresh daily on-site from a roster of more than 80 rotating flavors — as its core differentiation against competitors in the broader frozen-treat and soft-serve categories. The TBS partnership, tying nostalgia-driven comfort-comedy IP to a nostalgia-adjacent frozen treat, reflects deliberate demographic targeting: the millennial and Gen X consumers who grew up with both the channel's sitcom library and the brand's seasonal shop model.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
