Cleaning business opens on Peninsula, Rita’s announces new ownership – Daily Press

A carpet and upholstery cleaning service that uses carbonation to clean thousands of homes worldwide daily recently opened for business on the Peninsula.

Chem-Dry of Williamsburg and Hampton, which serves Greater Williamsburg as well as the Peninsula and New Kent County, is owned by Don Rowe. Rowe, who has more than a decade of experience in floor and carpet cleaning, previously worked as a general manager for another Chem-Dry in Richmond before deciding to operate his own franchise.

“When the owner of the Chem-Dry location I worked for came to me and offered to sell me some of his territory, I felt it was the perfect business opportunity,” Rowe said. “Chem-Dry won over my heart very quickly when I first started; their ‘Healthy Home’ motto really stood out. Being able to clean not only for the looks, but the health benefits really goes a long way in this world. We will continue to take care of our very large customer base and look forward to meeting and servicing new customers along the way.”

Chem-Dry, which was founded in 1977, has more than 3,000 franchisees internationally. The carpet cleaning company uses a process known as hot carbonating extraction, or HCE, to deep clean carpets using a fraction of the water required for steam cleaning. Rowe opened the local in-home cleaning service in August.

“We will be looking for a spot in the very near future to have an area rug cleaning pit where you can have your rugs picked up, dropped off, or drop them off yourself,” Rowe said.

To request a service from Chem-Dry of Williamsburg and Hampton, call 757-250-7734. For more information, visit chemdry.com.

Rita’s under new ownership

A barber and an elementary school teacher are the new owners of Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard on Monticello Avenue.

Husband-and-wife team Carmen and Danielle Racciatti became the new owners of the shop in November.

Carmen Racciatti, whose first job was in an ice cream shop, and his wife said they’re looking forward to serving the Williamsburg area when Rita’s reopens for the season. A tentative opening date has been set for March 1.

“We are beyond excited to open back up Rita’s Italian Ice and Frozen Custard for the Williamsburg community,” Carmen Racciatti said. “We can’t wait to meet and serve the community and have the chance to bring joy to our neighborhood.”

Rita’s Italian Ice and Frozen Custard was founded in 1984 in Pennsylvania and today has 550 shops in more than 30 states. The Williamsburg establishment, located at 220D Monticello Ave. in Midtown Row, is hiring for the upcoming season. To schedule an interview, visit bit.ly/3w94TQ0. For more information on Rita’s, visit ritasice.com.

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Williamsburg Landing CEO announces retirement

Greg Storer, president and CEO of Williamsburg Landing, recently announced plans to retire effective at the end of this year. The board of directors has formed a committee to search for a successor.

Storer, who first joined Williamsburg Landing in 2016, has been instrumental in the retirement community’s success and growth. Under his leadership, the community expanded its independent living housing, introduced adult day services and opened Namaste, Virginia’s first program designed specifically for advanced stages of dementia.

“I am continuously humbled for the opportunity to lead such a wonderful community,” he said in a news release. “The support I have received from the Board of Directors, the ability to work with some of the brightest people in the industry, and the privilege to serve amazing residents has been extremely rewarding.”

Jeanne Zeidler, chair of the Williamsburg Landing Board of Directors, said Storer’s imprint on the community will be “long lasting.”

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Dots and dashes

• Column 15 Coffee, located in James-York Plaza on Merrimac Trail, recently created two custom roast profiles as part of the William & Mary Collection in honor of the university’s Charter Day on Feb. 9. The coffee house was co-founded by James Kroll, a 2012 W&M alumnus.

• Virginia Peninsula Community College and Hampton Roads Workforce Council will hold a hiring event on Feb. 20 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at VPCC’s Historic Triangle Campus, 4601 Opportunity Way. Participants include Didlake, Hampton Sheriff’s Office, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Poquoson Police Department, James City County, Casey Auto Group, Traffix Commuter Options, Snow Jr. & King Inc. and more. Job seekers are encouraged to register by emailing tevans@theworkforcecouncil.org.

• York County will host its inaugural Restaurant Week Feb. 26 through March 3 and is looking for dining establishments to participate. Interested restaurants should email their special offers or a menu flyer to tourism@yorkcounty.gov by Feb. 20. For more information on York County’s Restaurant Week, visit visityorktown.org.

Brandy Centolanza, bcentolanza@cox.net