Rita’s Italian Ice in north Colorado Springs is reopening this week, now under new ownership.

The dessert shop that sells Italian ice made fresh daily with real fruit, frozen hand-scooped custards, gelatis (layers of Italian ice and custard) and other chilly treats reopens Thursday at 7866 N. Academy Blvd., according to an announcement on the shop’s website.

Franchisees Shawna and Hunter Floyd, who are married and also operate a Rita’s location in Parker, recently purchased the North Academy location that former owner Kathy Gehauf opened in 2016. The store closed temporarily at the end of business on Aug. 19 to accommodate the transfer in ownership.

Shawna Floyd said they plan to operate the quick-service dessert shop full time from Thursday into October, when they will close for the winter season before reopening in the spring. Winter closures were typical under Gehauf’s management, Floyd said.

During their seasonal closure, Floyd and her husband will refresh the store, reorganizing it, adding fresh paint and updating signage and windows.

“We want to make this location really successful and our hope is to be here for another 10 years,” she said.

The Floyds welcome the opportunity to meet the Colorado Springs community and will be at the shop on Saturday to greet customers and introduce themselves, she said.

The couple purchased their Parker location from its previous owner last year. It is one of just three Rita’s shops in Colorado; the other two are in Colorado Springs. The store at 7715 Dublin Blvd. on the Springs’ east side is under different ownership.

While they’re new to Rita’s ownership, they’re not new to the brand, Floyd said. The couple is a military family — Hunter served in the U.S. Army for 28 years before retiring about six years ago — who became well acquainted with the brand during their time living on the East Coast, Shawna said.

“We’ve been frequenters for more than 20 years,” she said.

When Hunter retired, the couple wanted to open a small business and had the opportunity to get involved with Rita’s.

They quickly developed relationships and partnerships with the owners of both Springs stores and, when they heard Gehauf was looking to sell her store, were excited about the opportunity to expand their own business.

“Our plan is to expand around us in the future as well, between Colorado Springs and Parker, and around Parker and in the Denver area. That’s our ultimate goal,” Floyd said.

Pennsylvania-based Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard opened its first restaurant in 1984 in Bensalem Township, Pa., near Philadelphia. The chain today has nearly 600 locations in 30 states.

For more information and updates on Rita’s reopening in north Colorado Springs, visit their website at ritasice.com/location/ritas-of-colorado-springs-co.