No Rita's For Chestnut Hill, For Now

While the first day of spring brings free water ice Tuesday, Monday brought the news that Chestnut Hill will not be having a Rita’s Water Ice. Not this season, at least.

John Thain, would-be owner of the , announced that he has withdrawn his plans to put a Rita’s as the location.

“We were in the game, right up until this week, and the primary reason is the landlord has another opportunity with another tenant,” Thain said. “As much as he said he was willing to support us, he was supporting us so far, he has a responsibility to the owners of the center to rent it.”

The news comes after nearly six weeks of discussions between , owner of the .

The issue stemmed from a protective covenant, which Weinstein and Thain planned on deciding through arbitration, but the scope of the arbitration could not be agreed upon.

Now, Thain said, he will have to wait until next season to open a new franchise, wherever that may be.

“This season, it is in all likelihood too late. I’ve lost the opportunity to open a new store this year, I’ve incurred those losses, and losses of architectural and losses in legal fees,” Thain said.

Despite the loss, Thain said he was still interested in opening a franchise in Chestnut Hill someday. His was encouraging, he said, as well as the plans of the Chestnut Hill Community Association to review and update restrictive covenants throughout the neighborhood.

“We’ll be back, trust me,” Thain said.