Rita's opened in 1968 by a man who set out to discover how to make the perfect Italian ice. He started with only two flavors, cherry and lemon and named the shop after his wife, Rita, to whom he dedicated the shop. How do I know so much about Rita's? I work there! In fact, it happens to be my first job and it has been such a fun experience.
I show up to work and the first thing I do is wash my hands. Then, I usually check to make sure we have enough spoons, wash rags, straws, cookie pieces, hand sanitizer, napkins, etc. Once I have restocked, my job moves to making sure the front of the store has been swept and the tables have been cleaned. Rita's takes cleanliness very seriously. Who would want dust in their ice?
Every thirty minutes my duty is to pump the ice. This pumps the flavored juice that has sunk to the bottom back up and into the ice. We use a long iron rod with a circular end about the size of a canteloupe. The rod has little holes inside it that circulates the ice through it and separates any ice chunks that may have formed. This can be a hard job and it definately makes work more tiring, but fortunately works off the treats I get every day. The official line is, 'keeping the ice fresh and tasty is a top priority' . . . I am happy to do it.
My favorite treat to make is a Misto Shake. This is a smoothie made with the Italian ice blended with liquid custard. I love blending these and watching the custard as it mixes up through the ice and completely changes the color of this delicous drink.
The newest skill I've learned is how to use the cash register. However, I must admit that my least favorite thing to do is counting the money in my cash register drawer before I start cashiering. We have to do this to ensure that there is a certain amount of money inside when we begin, and then balance the beginning amount when we're done for the day. This way my boss can check and make sure they have the correct amount of money and if they don't - big trouble! This always makes me nervous because I have never been good at counting money and I mess up a lot . . . but I'm not a thief . . . K-ching!
Those are all my duties unless I work the night shift. On those nights I have the extra closing duties which include taking out the trash, cleaning the bathroom, sweeping, and mopping the entire shop (including the back room.) On my way out to the car I drop the trash in the dumpster and then I'm on my way home!
I am always tired when I get home, but I never dread going back to work the next day. Rita's is a wonderful job to have. I love my bosses, I love the smell of the ice; I love how laid back it is; I love the treats; and of course I love the customers!
Oh, and did I mention my yellow shirt?!
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