1. Biography for Rosa
Rosa started working with her husband nearly 15 years ago, which was supposed to be
temporary. She was a branch manager for a small bank in NJ and brought with her employee
managing and customer service skills to the shoppe.
Richie her husband trained her, how to whip cakes, how to put pictures on cakes, how to
write, how to draw on them! She was inspired by his creativity and loved working with him, I
was hooked and so I stayed. She traded her suits and heels, for sneakers and Carvel shirts.
If you ever told me 15 years ago that I would be doing this line of work, I would have told you,
"You’re out of your mind!"
Biography for Richie
Love is a strong word. But to Richie Stakofsky, the 2011 Carvel Franchisee of the Year, when it
comes to describing his experience with the Carvel brand, “love” might not be strong enough.
His passion for the business started in the 70s while working as a teenager in a friend’s Carvel
shoppe. Then in 1979, Richie took it to the next level by opening a shoppe of his own.
“I love this business,” says Richie. “This business has been very good to me. It’s a lot of work –
don’t let anybody fool you. But any kind of situation where you can be your own boss and
control your own future, it’s just a great way of doing things. You just have to always try to beat
yesterday’s totals and find ways to drive business.”
When it comes to driving business, Richie takes an old-fashioned approach to finding new
opportunities. “It’s important to see your store like your customers do,” Richie advises. “It’s
easy to stand behind the counter and become complacent, to neglect certain things. You want
to walk in like a customer and make sure that it’s nice and clean, and you want to see a variety.
Variety is what makes us special.”
Of course, as a Franchisee, Richie thinks Carvel’s support is pretty special, too. “Carvel is a very
close-knit business,” he explains. “All of us try to help each other out. It’s one big, giant family
with a great amount of people who are always trying to do better – and to help each other do
better.”
Doing better every day is important, but after more than 30 years at the helm of a Carvel
shoppe, Richie knows what really matters. “I love the customers. I love my employees. I love
seeing them grow and become successful and have families. What can I say, I love this
business.”

2. Rosa continued working with Richie with all the organizations he started donating to in 1978.
They work with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, American Kidney foundation, Arthritis
Foundation, and the Red Cross. We don’t do this for recognition we do it to contribute support.
My sister was the first transplant patient 40 years ago in NY state; my Father gave his kidney to
her to live. Rosa and I pay it forward every day every year. We help to make a difference.