Jeremiah’s Italian Ice Names Its First Franchise Development VP as the Winter Park Brand Chases Nationwide Growth
The Winter Park frozen dessert chain known for its layered ‘jelati’ has grown from a single scoop shop to 178 locations across 11 states. Now it has created a new executive role to steer the next wave of franchise expansion, with more than 300 stores already open or in the pipeline.
Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, founded in Winter Park in 1996, has created its first vice president of franchise development role to guide national growth.
Image: Jeremiah’s Italian Ice
What to Know
The Jeremiah’s expansion news in brief
A homegrown Central Florida dessert brand is formalizing its national playbook, and the growth numbers say a lot about where the region’s consumer base is headed.
A first-of-its-kind role. Jeremiah’s named Lisa McGill as its first vice president of franchise development, tasked with targeting strategic markets and recruiting new franchisees.
From 23 stores to 178. Since it began franchising in 2019, the brand has reached 178 locations in 11 states, with at least 150 of them owned by franchisees.
Central Florida roots. Twenty-six shops already operate across the region, including in Casselberry, Celebration, Maitland and Mount Dora, with the brand’s home base still in Winter Park.
Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, the frozen dessert brand founded in Winter Park in 1996, has hired Lisa McGill as its first vice president of franchise development. Her job is to find new markets and recruit operators as the chain, now at 178 shops across 11 states, pushes toward its next phase of nationwide growth.
According to reporting by Orlando Business Journal, McGill will lead the search for strategic markets and the recruitment of new franchise owners. She brings 15 years of franchise development experience and, per the company’s announcement, has worked with 16 brands over her career, giving her a view of both the operator and the strategist side of the business.
A single Winter Park scoop shop that became a national brand
Founder Jeremy Litwack opened the first Jeremiah’s Italian Ice in Winter Park in 1996. The brand’s calling card is the “jelati,” a cup that layers Italian ice with soft serve ice cream, and that signature product helped it build a loyal following well before it opened the doors to franchising.
Franchising began in 2019, when Litwack set a goal of growing from 23 corporate-owned stores to 250 new shops by 2024. The brand did not hit that specific target, but the trajectory has still been steep. Company officials have reported total sales climbing from $12.2 million in 2020 to roughly $68 million in 2024, a jump that reflects how quickly the store count and the franchise base expanded over those years.
How big Jeremiah’s has gotten
There are now 178 Jeremiah’s shops across 11 states, with at least 150 of those owned by franchisees. The company counts more than 130 franchise owners, and roughly 38 percent of them operate more than one unit, a sign that existing operators are betting on the brand by adding stores rather than exiting.
For prospective owners, the barrier to entry is defined: the company requires a minimum net worth of $300,000 and at least $150,000 in available capital. Store formats are flexible, ranging from a traditional shop with a drive-thru at 800 to 1,400 square feet down to a non-traditional footprint as small as 175 square feet. The company also notes that more than 300 locations are open, under construction or in the development pipeline, which points to well over 100 additional shops still to launch as McGill steps into the role.
Central Florida is still home base
Even as the map widens, the brand’s center of gravity remains local. Twenty-six Jeremiah’s shops already operate across Central Florida, in cities including Casselberry, Celebration, Maitland and Mount Dora, anchored by the original Winter Park location. President and CEO Michael Keller framed McGill’s hire as a strategic addition meant to help the brand keep expanding its footprint across the country while protecting the franchisee-first culture the company was built on.
Jeremiah’s isn’t the only Central Florida brand scaling through franchising
The Jeremiah’s story fits a broader pattern of Orlando-area food brands going national. Jeff’s Bagel Run, an Orlando-based shop known for its broiled New York-style bagels, was founded in 2021 and launched franchising in 2024. It has already grown to 39 locations nationwide, with at least 100 more under development. When two homegrown brands are recruiting operators and building pipelines at the same time, it says something about how Central Florida is being viewed by growth-minded entrepreneurs.
Jeremiah’s by the numbers
The figures matter because they trace a local brand’s climb from a single Winter Park shop to a multi-state operator with a deep development pipeline.
A light real estate read on the news
Franchise growth is a rooftop story as much as a dessert story. Brands like Jeremiah’s and Jeff’s Bagel Run add locations where they see enough households, daily traffic and disposable income to support them, so a cluster of new commercial permits in a submarket is often an early read on where population and spending are concentrating.
For homeowners near these growing retail corridors, a walkable, family-friendly dessert or coffee stop tends to be one of the more welcome forms of neighborhood development: it draws foot traffic, supports nearby small businesses and adds to the everyday convenience that buyers weigh when they shortlist a community.
The Takeaway
Jeremiah’s creating its first franchise development role is a clear signal of intent. With more than 300 stores open or in the pipeline and a defined recruiting target ahead, the Winter Park brand is treating national expansion as a structured program rather than opportunistic growth, and it is doing so from a Central Florida base of 26 shops.
For anyone watching the region, stories like this are useful context. When homegrown brands scale this fast, it usually maps to a local economy that keeps attracting residents and the retail that follows them.
FAQ
Who is Lisa McGill?
Lisa McGill is Jeremiah’s Italian Ice’s first vice president of franchise development. She leads the brand’s national growth strategy, including identifying strategic markets and recruiting new franchisees, and brings 15 years of franchise development experience across 16 brands.
What is Jeremiah’s Italian Ice known for?
The brand is best known for its “jelati,” a cup that layers Italian ice with soft serve ice cream. It was founded in Winter Park in 1996 by Jeremy Litwack and started franchising in 2019.
How many Jeremiah’s locations are there?
There are 178 Jeremiah’s shops across 11 states, with at least 150 owned by franchisees. Twenty-six of those are in Central Florida, and the company reports more than 300 locations open, under construction or in the development pipeline.
What does it cost to open a Jeremiah’s franchise?
According to the company, franchisees need a minimum net worth of $300,000 and at least $150,000 in capital. Store formats range from a traditional drive-thru shop of 800 to 1,400 square feet to a non-traditional space as small as 175 square feet.
Where is Jeremiah’s Italian Ice based?
Jeremiah’s is based in Winter Park, Florida, where it opened its first store in 1996. The brand still operates 26 shops across Central Florida, in cities including Casselberry, Celebration, Maitland and Mount Dora.
External Links & Related Reading
For readers who want to review the reporting and the company behind the announcement, these are the key references.
Watching where Central Florida is growing?
Brand expansion and new retail say a lot about where an area’s buyers are heading. When a move is on your radar, local context makes the difference.