By Rachel Bowman

Sure, ice cream is great, but have you ever had Italian ice? It’s pretty darn refreshing. Rita’s offers a variety of flavors of this delicious icy treat. And if ice isn’t your thing, you can always get custard. You like both? Great! Get a gelati or a blendini. The options are endless for ice custard happiness.

If you couldn’t already tell, I work at this lovely establishment. I was the first Mt. Hebron student to work there in years, so you should thank me for taking back our territory, considering our school is the closest to it.

Rita’s has been open for about 10 years and has not closed, unlike Soft Stuff, who left you high and dry for two years. Sure, Rita’s closes every October, but we never disappoint when we reopen in March.

Hungry patrons eagerly await their custard and Italian Ice at Rita’s (Photo courtesy of the Rita’s Facebook page).

Each year on the first day of spring, we offer free ice to each customer! Does Soft Stuff do that? I don’t think so.

Also, Rita’s prides it self on its partnership with the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. Every June, we ask our customers to donate to the foundation to help find a cure for children’s cancer. Rita’s saves lives, what does Soft Stuff do?

Ever heard or seen a Rita’s commercial? They’re pretty good, if I do say so myself. I mean have you listened to our jingle? Oh, you haven’t? That’s okay — just download our app. Yup, that’s right. Rita’s has an app. When you download it, you get a free version of the jingle and the online punch card. Get a punch each time you visit, and after 10 you get a free ice.

Also you can join the Rita’s birthday club. You get a free ice on your birthday! Your birthday is in the winter? No problem! We’ll send you a free ice coupon on your half birthday.

All in all, Rita’s is better than Soft Stuff. Yeah, if you just want ice cream, you can go there. But if you want an amazing experience and tons of options, come to Rita’s. Get Rita’s, get happy! Also, I’ll be there.

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By Rachel Cadigan

Ice cream is awesome. This is not an opinion. It is literally awesome. Nothing can top the sweet, creamy goodness that is this delicious dairy treat. Except for, like, whipped cream. And a cherry.

And what better place to get this savory satisfaction than the one and only Soft Stuff? It just recently reopened at the beginning of August after being closed for two years and enduring a change of location. But now it’s back, and it is better than ever. Not to mention I work there, which makes this argument somewhat biased but, like, 90% absolute fact.

There’s really no ice cream that even compares to Soft Stuff ice cream. It’s soft ––shocker–– and fills your stomach with smiles. Plus, we’re open year round. Now that we have an indoor portion of our venue, we’re open seven days a week for all twelve months of the year, which is great for the winter ice cream aficionado.

This sign welcomes customers to Soft Stuff, newly reopened this year (Photo courtesy of The Baltimore Sun).

See, Rita’s closes in October and doesn’t come back until the beginning of spring. How are you supposed to curb your ice cream cravings for six months? You’ll scream for ice cream. At Soft Stuff, we hear your screams. It’s okay. Come get a sundae.

That brings up another point. Soft Stuff has so many options to choose from that you might get brain freeze just thinking about it. Banana splits, root beer floats, snowballs — the list goes on and on. Toppings are endless (figuratively) and delicious (literally). Customers can come in and get a new treat every time they visit Soft Stuff (which should be extremely often).

Rita’s? First off, who is this Rita? How is anyone supposed to know that custard and ice are being sold at a place named after a random woman? What’s custard anyway? Or a blendini? I’d rather not have the menu explained to me every time I go out for a dessert.

They always change the flavors around, too. It’s a truth universally acknowledged that the one time you go to Rita’s itching for a particular flavor, you’re ultimately dismayed to find out that they don’t have it that day. Instead they have, like, Island Punch. Why are people punching islands? At Soft Stuff, no one is punching anything. We just have a consistent set of flavors that make people give hugs, not fists to the face.

Additionally, they have to wear visors at Rita’s. No, thanks.

People have their preferences, which is understandable. But when it comes to ice cream, people should be getting actual ice cream. Now, no disrespect to Rita’s –– they’re a successful establishment with a fairly large customer base. Soft Stuff, on the other hand, has been around for over two decades and will be going strong for years to come.

So follow your gut, stop by Soft Stuff, and take a cone home, even though it feels like you’re already home.