GRAND RAPIDS – Eleven years ago Rita Foos left her comfy position as food production manager over the
Student Union at Bowling Green State University in order to take the risk of going into business for
herself, selling ice cream.
Though she puts in 70-hour work weeks during ice cream season at Rita’s Dairy Bar & Deli, Foos
has been free to be innovative, an excellent trainer, build a reputation for her shop’s cleanliness and
provide leadership to independent ice cream store owners across the U.S.
"It looked like a good opportunity for me to be on my own rather than employed by somebody,"
she explained. "There hasn’t been a year that I regretted, not a year. I have had people stop here
and say, ‘You made a good move.’ I’ve done well here."
The road to independent business woman has been a steady one. She attended Northwood University in
Midland, Mich. with a major in hotel, restaurant and resort management. Following work at two
restaurants and BGSU, she bought her own business. Foos likes the flexibility to do what she wants,
especially changes that make her business successful.
For example, when the yogurt machine "aged out," she replaced it with a hand-dipping cabinet
and began to offer a name-brand ice cream. Then, while attending a convention sponsored by the Great
Lakes Ice Cream and Fast Food Association (GLICFFA), Foos went to a seminar on making a homemade
product. The owner of a popular ice cream shop in Traverse City, Mich., Nancy Plummer, encouraged Foos
to make the transition, mentored her in the process and gave her recipe suggestions. The two women know
each other because both are on the GLICFFA board of directors.
Now Rita’s offers 15 to 18 different flavors of ice cream made right there at the shop, from plain
chocolate and strawberry, to exotics like oatmeal caramel and brownie batter. She and employee Joyce
Harnishfeger agree the three most popular flavors are butter pecan, peanut butter Maumee and mint chip.
Harnishfeger said Foos is pondering flavors for fall, and is "always thinking, always moving
forward."
Foos is delighted with the innovation. It takes only eight minutes to make the ice cream once the
ingredients are poured into the machine. The product comes out soft, so it is put into a hardening
cabinet where it will freeze in several hours.
She noted Harnishfeger produced eight batches one day this summer. The ice cream is made around the
store’s schedule and does not get freezer-burned from having to be ordered in large quantities. She can
also make sorbets for people who are lactose intolerant.
Foos supports local businesses, buying fresh strawberries and blueberries in season to puree and mix into
the ice cream. And she buys hamburger meat from Belleville Brothers.
Her employees are important to her, and she works hard to train them in food hygiene, efficiency and
friendly service. "If you give these kids a chance they’re going to come through. … They make you
proud," Foos said.
She was asked to write an article about motivating employees for GLICFFA’s publication, a topic she
practices. Foos opened a desk drawer in her office to show a small cache of candy bars. An Almond Joy
bar goes to an employee with the message, "you bring me joy." One employee forgot several
times to do something, so Foos gave her an Air Head candy as a humorous reminder.
She even let the employees pick a motto for the shop, "I get twisted at Rita’s" to wear on
their bright tie-dye work shirts. "We don’t sell food. We sell fun. It’s got to be a good positive
experience. … It has to be friendly service."
"I love working for Rita," stated Harnishfeger. "She’s a great boss. She’s a great boss
with the teens. I’ve never seen such hard-working teenagers. She’s a very good trainer as far as
teaching the girls their jobs. Once she’s done, they’re off and running."
Food hygiene is important to Foos, who sits on the Wood County Health Department Roundtable, and is
something she instills in her employees. All of them passed the ServSafe food safety training offered by
Denise Schaefer, a Penta instructor. Foos aims for a 100 percent score during health department visits,
and she knows its employees eat at the shop.
