Pop’s Water Ice
I have been talking a lot about Pop’s Water Ice lately, mainly because once again I am living a water ice-less summer. I was reminded of something I had written last year for the I.E. and thought I would share it once more:
Rita’s Water Ice is branching out to Indianapolis. This is just the latest of 500 stores now open across 21 states. Rita’s is the most popular water ice distributor in the country, if not the world, but it’s crap! Why all the fuss?
I unfortunately had to settle for Rita’s water ice on those hot spring and summer days while attending Istinkalotta University–there was a store just across the street. I would watch students line up for the ‘more water than ice’ thing, day after day. Most of these people were from upstate Pennsylvania, so I would quietly giggle to myself thinking, “These idiots never had real water ice!”
One of the benefits of growing up in South Philadelphia was the multitude of water ice stands and stores available: Mom and Pops, Italiano’s, Fillipo’s Ice, That one place across the street from Dr. Steingard’s office and my personal favorite Pop’s. In my opinion and also many others, Pop’s Water Ice is the best it’s ever gonna get. The big difference between Rita’s and Pop’s is the 50 year age gap between them. Pop’s has been running since 1932 and Rita’s only from 1984, although the franchise didn’t pick up until the mid 1990s. Though Pop’s is technically a chain, their 3 stores don’t come anywhere near to the 900 Rita’s will have by the end of 2009.
I myself am guilty of going to big money corporations for grub once in a while, but at the same time I know the cappuccino in Starbucks can’t touch that served by coffee houses deep in the heart of Philadelphia’s Italian Market, for example, Anthony’s Italian Coffee. I know that the soggy shit given out by McDonald’s can’t compare to the Hamburger Royal served by Tony Luke’s. Which brings me to my point–Rita’s can open up in as many locations as they want, but they will always be missing one important factor, quality.
