Uncertainty clouds Thrifty Ice Cream’s future as Rite Aid considers selling assets

WASHINGTON — If you’ve ever been in a Rite Aid store, you’ve probably seen a Thrifty Ice Cream counter tucked away somewhere, offering a variety of flavors for just a few dollars per scoop. 

But with Rite Aid filing for bankruptcy again and planning for all locations to eventually close or be sold to a new owner, fans of the frozen treat are wondering what will happen to Thrifty Ice Cream. 

Hundreds of Rite Aid stores have Thrifty counters in them, especially on the west coast. With the closure of those locations, the ice cream stands within will also shutter. 

Since filing for bankruptcy earlier this month, Rite Aid hasn’t given much information about the brand it purchased nearly 30 years ago. 

But in a hearing notice about an auction to sell off Rite Aid’s assets, the Thrifty brand was mentioned as one of the items up for sale. According to court documents, the deadline to bid on any assets being sold by Rite Aid is June 18. 

If the brand is bought, the new owner will decide what to do with it, and could possibly open new ice cream counters under the Thrifty name. 

But if an asset isn’t sold during a bankruptcy sale, it either remains in the bankruptcy estate or is abandoned by the trustee. At that point, it becomes unclear what would happen to Thrifty’s future, or if it would be possible for the brand to return. 

The store locator on Thrifty’s website is no longer active, and company officials didn’t respond to a request for comment for this story or to similar requests from other outlets.  

Thrifty began out of a small factory in West Hollywood, California, in 1940. It was sold exclusively at the now-defunct Thrifty Drug Store chain, according to the ice cream company’s website. 

In 1996, the brand was bought up by Rite Aid, which has maintained the counters at many of its stores for decades. 

It has been beloved for years by customers looking for a cheap dessert, with each scoop costing an average of $2.50, according to LA Eater. 

Rite Aid filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection again earlier this month, the second bankruptcy filing for the drugstore chain in the last few years. The company has steadily added to the list of store closures after filing for bankruptcy in early May. Rite Aid said it planned to keep stores open for the next few months as it tries to sell off assets. 

After its last bankruptcy in October 2023, the Philadelphia-based company shrank in size to 1,245 stores in 15 states, according to its website. It has a heavy presence in New York, Pennsylvania and California.