An Open Letter to Rite-Aid Regarding Thrifty Brand Ice Cream

Hello there!

I would like to express my saddening disappointment in your store locator function. I have recently relocated to Seattle from California (you probably know where this is going) and was elated to find that I could filter my store search to include only those with hand-dipped ice cream.

In doing so, I was excited to find that one store (105 Washington Ave, Kent, WA) was not as far as I thought it may be! I had heard rumors that ice cream was not sold there by the scoop… so I made sure to call. And alas! The woman on the phone had told me that, no, they do not have Thrifty’s ice cream by the scoop.

Widening my search, a second store was found on the radar (691 Sleater Kinney Rd. SE, Lacey, WA). Upon calling this store as well, the response was the same.. No scoop’d ice cream here either!

My hopes had been so high when finding that I could still indulge in the delightful, hand-dipped deliciousness that is Thrifty’s chocolate malted crunch ice cream on a sugar cone… Only to be confronted with the truth that the internet does, indeed, lie. 🙁

With that, I would like to request that the stores’ Specialty features be properly updated to reflect those features that do truly exist. I would not wish this tummy grumbling experience upon anyone else.

Many thanks,
Melissa

PS, Any idea where I -can- find Thrifty ice cream, even by the container, in the Seattle/Washington area? 🙂

25 thoughts on “An Open Letter to Rite-Aid Regarding Thrifty Brand Ice Cream

  1. I can’t find it either. Been in Seattle for about 25 years. Was literally raised on Thrifty in SoCal as a kid. Nickel scoops. Mmmmmm… If you find it. Share please.

    1. Same!! I have a distinct childhood memory of my dad buying me Thrifty’s ice cream when it was raining out. I loved the ice cream in the rain thing soooooo much, and still do now!

      It was my first time having Chocolate Malted Crunch 🙂

  2. I feel your pain…I thought if they didn’t have the scooped ice cream, I’d settle for the stuff in the freezer section. You know what I mean — that boxed Thrifty ice cream that you could pull a grab and go on because the line at the hand scooped ice cream was too long?

    I went to the Rite Aid in Renton last night, near Uwajimaya. Utterly disappointed that the only ice cream they carry was Ben & Jerry’s. I can get that at any grocery store.

    I guess i’ll have to get my Thrifty ice cream craving killed when I go to California.

    1. JUST DELIGHTFULLY CONSUMED SOME THRIFTY
      ‘BLACK CHERRY’ ICE CREAM
      OBTAINED AT A RITE-AID
      ABOUT TEN BLOCKS FROM HOME. SOME CHOCOLATE SYRUP AND AN OREO OR THREE MAKES FOR A NICE SNACK FOR THEE AND ME.
      ✔❤LOVE IT❤✔
      ➡THRIFTY⬅
      ➡BLACK⬅
      ➡CHERRY⬅
      ?✔❤✔❤✔?

    2. I’ve now been back to CA a few times and try to make it a point to get it 🙂

      It’s not the same, or really similar, but Kroger brand ice cream (from QFC) actually fills my cheap ice cream gap pretty well. Not sure why!

  3. Same here guys! I’m from socal and moved to seattle area with my wife who was shocked to learn we have ice cream in rite aid in socal! Such a disappointment here that’s for sure

    1. Someone needs to import Thrifty ice cream, but you do have a point. Ice cream in Rite Aid in itself is a pretty awesome thing!

  4. Omg! I was just asking about this its so depressing why cant they sell the cartons at all stores even if they dont put in an ice cream counter?! I miss my chocolate malted crunch!

    1. I’d settle for the cartons, for sure! Each time I go to RiteAid, I do take a peek at the frozen section, just in case….

  5. Fellow Thrifty lovers, here is my story. A few years back I discovered it being sold here in the Seattle area while searching online, in 5 or maybe 10 gallon containers at the business Costco on 99 in Lynnwood (I know they had Choc. Malted Crunch). I called the store right away and a helpful employee ran to check stock… only to report that they had recently sold out and it was a limited time run etc. boo-hoo. Then yesterday at my local eastside Rite Aid, for the first time ever, I spot Thrifty’s brand ice cream cones-both sugar and cake cups!! And although no Thrifty ice cream to be found, the box of cones states “Perfect Addition To Thrifty Ice Cream” (hahaha-boooo). This former Southern California girl has such strong childhood memories tied to this brand & one of a kind flavor (choc. malted crunch!!) is ready for some market expansion =). Although maybe getting it as a special treat when visiting SoCal is okay too. I am old enough to remember when Thrifty ice cream was sold in Thrifty Drug Stores. Walks to get a cone with my Gramps and cousins were a highlight of weekends at the Grandparents. Diamond Bar Thrifty’s.

    1. YES I found the cones as well in Bothell :'(

      I’ll have to bug my Costco friend and prod him to research why that was a thing. Unfortunately, he doesn’t buy the ice cream though!

      I. too, have a distinct memory of a rainy day in Santa Cruz, and my dad treating me to Thrifty ice cream… I chose Chocolate Malted Crunch that day <3. Thank you for sharing!!

  6. So we found out that the riteaid wherehouse that is located in Oregon does not have freezer storage therefore both Oregon and Washington do not get thrifty ice cream. This is an abysmal shame. This needs to change!!!!!!!!

    1. Yikes, so no ice cream at all?? I think the worst tease was when I found THRIFTY BRAND ICE CREAM CONES in a Rite-Aid up here in WA.. WHY OH WHY would you do that?!

  7. I laughed when I saw this blog post. I also relocated from Southern CA to Seattle. When people ask me what I miss, I say “not much, but one of the little things I miss is that the RiteAids don’t sell ice cream here.”

    And then people say, “What do you mean there’s an ice cream counter at RiteAid?!?”

    When I first moved it was summer and I was out running errands. I came upon a RiteAid and wanted to stop in for a treat. I was sorely disappointed. A few weeks later I saw another store and walked in…No Thrifty ice cream. I then learned the sad truth…it’s only a Southern CA thing.

    1. It’s in Northern California, too! It’s great to know that if/when I visit down south that I can still indulge! It’s one of my home-tourist stops when I visit CA now 🙂 (PS, sorry this reply is so late haha)

  8. As I sit here eating crappy Kroger ice cream in Portland I mourn the amazingness of Thrifty’s chocolate malted crunch that we CAN’T GET IN THE NORTHWEST. Super lame. This Kroger stuff is gro

  9. I was raised in Ontario, calf 32 miles east of l..A.
    I was raised on thrifty ice cream. I save my allowence and get some after school on the way home. At .15 cents a scoop.

    Anyhow I did a lot of research on thrifty ice cream and how I can get some in Washington state. Port angeles. I would even by a whole be 10 or 5 gallon box if I could.

    Well as I searched I found out the factory is in elmonte. The ice cream has won lots of blue ribbons. And when researching at the time. Plenti corp. Was buying thrifty’s ice cream in which Plenti is rite aid. They were deciding whether they were going to keep the ice cream or not. This is a year and half later. With your input it seems that Plenti decided to keep it.

    Now also thrifty ice cream is a California and maybe Arizona chain. This states only. That is why you cannot find it out here.

    I will be checking more with the company on trying to get some up here, the problem is the factory is very far away in elmonte. And there wasdebate on the second factory. To get it this car they would need a closer and larger factory to be able to produce the ice cream. The factory in elmonte I last read was at max capacity. To build another factory it was if I remember correctly in the article I was reading. It would cost approximately 2 to 5 million dollars to build one. Don’t hold me to those exact numbers.

    So until then we can just keep asking. And enjoy it when in California on vacation. Michael

  10. Just wanted to say this thread is hilariously specific and sadly affirming. I grew up in LA eating my favorite flavor, coconut pineapple, right out of the box!

    I’ve since relocated to Seattle, and oh what a mistake that was. Haven’t thought about Thrifty ice cream for years, due not in the least to my developing a lactose intolerance in college, but I do happen to want a bowl of coconut pineapple right exactly NOW, and (as you already know) I haven’t found any in spite of having called every Rite-Aid in the Puget Sound area, A google search, and this blog, have confirmed my worst fears… I will just have to add Thrifty’s to my long list of must-eats next time I’m in LA.

  11. Oh my goodness, this is so sad.!!! I just moved from California to Washington and I too just found out there’s no Thrifty ice cream to be found. I grew up in Northern California on Thrifty’s ice cream. I really hope they get it together and bring it to the Pacific Northwest, I am not alone but so sad.

  12. I just returned from a trip to SOCAL during which I enjoyed a cone in the Rite Aid and was thrilled to find my lifelong fav (also introduced by my Dad), coconut/pineapple in the carton. We bought a carton and my host and I enjoyed it for the rest of my visit. I, too, had false hope that all the mergers and acquisitions with companies up here in the PNW would bring my beloved Thrifty Ice Cream to my neighborhood! If you all can come up with a plan/franchising/any way to get this up here I would love to participate!!
    Anne Ward

  13. I just had this conversation with WA natives (myself being a socal native). I was blown away. The moment I said “thrifty ice cream” they looked at me as if I was from another planet. Super depressing. I went on a 30 minute rant about how good the ice cream is. They thought ice cream sold by the scoop at a Rite Aid was the most outlandish thing they’ve ever heard.

  14. EVERYONE KEEP AN EYE OUT!!! I found Thirfty brand ice cream cartons at Rite-Aid!! I just wrote another post here: http://www.mewissa.com/?p=8471
    [Sorry I disappeared… It’s also kind of exciting how this is my most popular blog post and continues to stay alive hahaha]

  15. Guess what!!! Our Rite Aide in Kent, just got Thriftys.
    They’re only carrying four flavors. Mint chip, vanilla, rocky road, and chocolate malted crunch. Hopefully if they sell out all the time,
    They’ll get more flavors.
    I wanted malted crunch but sold out. So tonight I bought mint chip, and rocky road. It was only 4.00 each. The night before I spent 6.00 on two scoops of Mora Iced Creamery in Covington,

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