You know the spring weather has arrived and summer is on the way when you see a Del’s lemonade stand open for business. Del’s has been an iconic symbol of our state for many decades now, so when Rhode Islanders think of Del’s, the first thing that comes to mind is cold, delicious lemonade, whether your preference is classic lemon, or any of the other flavor varieties, such as watermelon and blueberry. But, today’s Del’s is much more than soft frozen lemonade, and as the company has grown, they have created a wide and diversified product line that you may not be aware of.
Del’s Frozen Lemonade is one of the truly great Rhode Island success stories, and for those who don’t know its history, the company website highlights how great grandfather, DeLucia, made the first of its kind. homemade lemonade in Naples, Italy, in 1840. As the story goes, in the winter months, DeLucia carried snow into nearby caves, which he insulated with straw, then when summer arrived and the local lemons were ripe and flavorful, he mixed their juice with just the right amount of sugar and snow, making a refreshing lemon-flavored drink that so many have come to love over the years.
Franco DeLucia eventually brought his father’s frozen lemonade recipe to America at the turn of the 20th century, before Angelo DeLucia, Franco’s son, utilized machinery from TAYLOR to commercially produce the product. In 1948, Del’s Frozen Lemonade acquired its name and began to sell the product from a little stand in Cranston. It was an instant hit, and Angelo soon designed the first mobile truck in order to serve the unique brand of lemonade all over the state.
When Angelo’s son, Bruce, entered the family business, there were five franchises in Rhode Island. Today, Bruce’s daughter, Stephanie, runs the family business, as president of Del’s Lemonade’s sister company, Francesca Enterprises International, and Del’s is now being sold to people in over twenty states. With the availability of Del’s “take-home” mix, as well as all the other Del’s products that can be found in grocery stores and markets all around the entire country and throughout the world, Del’s has gone global. This was not an accident, but a conceived business plan to promote and grow the Del’s brand.
Dr. Demetrios Kazantzis, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of Rhode Island in Food Science, is someone who has been behind this push for expansion. He is the vice president of research and development in Del’s headquarters in Cranston. He knows as much as anybody about where Del’s is as a company, and where it is going.
“When I first joined the company almost thirty-eight years ago, we started with one product, and now we have over fifty different products that we sell in the markets,” Dr. Kazantzis said. “I’ve developed many lines over the years, along with my R&D group, employing interns from different universities and areas like food science, marketing, and graphic design. But, when someone asks me what I do, I usually just say ‘scoop lemonade’”,
Dr. Kazantzis does a lot more than scoop lemonade into cups, though. Del’s original soft frozen lemonade may only be a seasonal treat, but because of Dr. Kazantzis’ creativity and his developmental efforts, you can find a number of Del’s products to enjoy all year round. The Del’s dry mix line comes in nine flavors, and their juice line that is available in glass bottles features five flavors, including lemon, pink lemon, tangerine-orange, diet, and lightly flavored iced tea. They also produce two different carbonated beverages in cans, lemon and tangerine- orange. There is also Del’s Shandy, which is a collaboration between two Ocean State beverage icons, Del’s and Narragansett Beer. They offer a canned cocktail beverage called Lemon Drop, under the name of Li’l Dinghy. These are certainly new ways to enjoy a Del’s. For the ice cream lover, Del’s and Warwick Ice Cream combined to create the best of two frozen treats, a Del’s lemon-flavored ice cream.
There is even a THC line. This cannabis-infused Del’s beverage, available in four flavors right now, is sold in four-ounce bottles, and contains 10mg of THC. These can be purchased in medical marijuana dispensaries.
Dr. Kazantzis said that there is still more to come, including a line of Del’s gummies containing THC.
“We try to make people happy and smile,” Dr. Kazantzis said. “Having new flavors and new products for the diversity of people who live in Rhode Island, and for the millions of tourists who visit the state every summer, is what we try to do.”
“Like any business, you have to evolve in order to survive. And that’s just what Del’s is doing,” stated Dr. Kazantzis.
“We are working in different avenues, developing new products all the time,” Dr. Kazantzis said. “We’ll be introducing a new product, that is cucumber, plus honeydew melon, which will be coming out this summer. And there are a number of other lines that will be available in markets in the near future.”
Del’s also operates a brick and mortar gift shop in Cranston. where they sell a host of non-food products and souvenirs that you won’t find anywhere else. Items include coffee mugs, key chains, bracelets, toys, t-shirts, towels, hats, Christmas tree ornaments, soap, scented candles, lip balm, and even pet toys.
“We try to promote not only Del’s, we try to promote the state,” Dr. Kazantzis said, referencing the apparel that proudly displays Rhode Island. along with the Del’s logo. They make great keepsakes and presents. These items can also be purchased online. Visit Dels.com to see all they have to offer.
