The ice cream restaurant chain Rita’s Italian Ice has received approval to establish a location at Dunnkirk Square in Downtown Bloomington.
The city’s board of public works on Tuesday unanimously approved Rita’s request for a right-of-way encroachment agreement putting a store at the old Falafels space on the southwest corner of Kirkwood Avenue and Dunn Street.
The agreement allows Rita’s to use the public right-of-way along Dunn Street for a walk-up service window, but states customer activity must not impede pedestrians’ access to the sidewalk next to Dunn Street.
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The restaurant hours will be from noon to at least 11 p.m., according to franchisee Steve Wilkos. He said he’s considering staying open past 11 p.m. but that it will depend on customer turnout.
A letter from Wilkos to the board says he does not plan to alter the structure of the building beyond adding a service window and awning.
Wilkos originally presented his request in May but made several changes after board members expressed concerns. The changes include:
- Adding an interior customer service access point with seating and table
- Expanding the concrete area along the building’s Dunn Street frontage and installing a tree grate for the existing tree
- Reducing the number of walk-up window access points from two to one
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Rita’s is headquartered in Pennsylvania but has locations in both Carmel and Fishers. Wilkos and his family operate the Carmel location.
Rita’s serves items including Italian Ice, soft serve frozen custard, hot dogs, pretzels, soft drinks, and soft serve treats like milkshakes and sundaes.
