Tuesday, March 16, 2010

'Busy' Pita Pit Featured in Sioux City Journal

Tom Cruse and his Sioux City Pita Pit location were recently featured in the Sioux City Journal. The article talks about Cruse’s entrepreneur story and also about the Pita Pit concept. Below is a sample of the article including a link to the original article.

'Busy' Pita Pit comes to Marketplace
By Joanne Fox

As fast as you can babaganoush, you can be served at the Pita Pit. OK, maybe not that fast, but close.

The newest addition to the Marketplace Shopping Centre is this international chain which touts quality, healthy, fresh food -- fast.

With an informal atmosphere and a varied and tasty menu selection, Pita Pit owners -- former Sioux Cityans Tom and Annette Cruse of Mason City, Iowa and Mark and Michele Lennon of Sioux City -- have been buoyed by the response of customers since opening the doors Nov. 12. 2009.

"We knew we'd be busy," Michele said. "We never dreamed we'd be this busy."

The Cruses opened a Pita Pit, 2927 Hamilton Blvd., 14 months ago in Mason City, but Tom Cruse (yes, he gets lots of comments on the name) was no stranger to the restaurant industry. His parents, Les and Peggy Cruse, closed out a 25-year career in 1996 after owning and operating Cruse's Restaurants on Stone Ave. and Hamilton Blvd.

"I did a lot of investigating before I decided on the Pita Pit," Tom said. "I liked the idea that it was easy to run, easy for the customer to make choices and easy for employees to prepare the orders."

(READ MORE)

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Pita Pit Q&A in Nation's Restaurant News


Pita Pit was recently featured in Nation's Restaurant News in an article entitled, "Pita Pit Seeks its Fans Again, Then Builds Out". Mark Brandau composed the article and did a great job discussing Pita Pit's growth strategy and how offering a healthy and quick option is something that sets Pita Pit apart from the competition. He also discussed Pita Pit's strong connection to the college demographic and how this influences Pita Pit's national expansion plans. Below is a link to the digital version of the article.

Pita Pit Seeks its Fans Again, Then Builds Out
By: Mark Brandau
(Digital Version of Nation's Restaurant News)