Tuesday, December 27, 2011

We Want Your Feedback!

In order to satisfy your unique taste buds, Pita Pit is always trying to develop new, tantalizing flavors to keep you coming back for more of that good stuff.  Some items will stay on our menu and some will only make a short appearance. Whatever the case, we want to know how you liked it.  Did we get an A+, or do we need to go back to school and work harder?  Please click here for a short questionnaire.  We promise to read over ALL of your comments!


Keep Rollin'!


Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Pita Pit featured on WFTS ABC Action News in Tampa, Florida

Pita Pit was recently featured in a segment on WFTS ABC Action News in Tampa called, "Eating healthy during the holidays is tough, but there are meals you can make under 500 calories." The segment features Tampa Pita Pit owner Andrew Turek showing viewers how to make a low calorie pita, suggesting veggies to fill the pita and showing them how to make the "Light Aloha" pita. Andrew offers advice on how to make healthy pitas at home or in the store. View the segment here or below.

Eating healthy during the holidays is tough, but there are meals you can make under 500 calories
By: Ellen McNamara

The holidays can be overwhelming if you are trying to count calories, especially if you eat out a lot.

However, there are meals you can create at home, or get on the go that will keep you slim and trim. 


Andrew Turek, owner of The Pita Pit, has some healthy suggestions.



 

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Pita Pit's on Foursquare!

Have you seen us on Foursquare?


Pita Pit is in the process of hosting Foursquare specials in all of their corporate locations! The special currently running at 5 of their locations is a Mayor Special that awards the mayor with a free pita with every check-in!

The Corporate locations that currently have this special are:


  1. Pita Pit E Indiana Ave.
    Spokane Valley, WA 99216
  2. Pita Pit
    W Prairie Ave.
    Hayden, ID 83835
  3. Pita Pit
    E Sherman Ave.
    Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814
  4. Pita Pit
    N Hwy. 41
    Post Falls, ID 83854
  5. Pita Pit
    W Main Ave.
    Spokane, WA 99201
In addition, there are three non-corporate locations that are running a similar special, along with a check-in special of a free 22oz drink with a purchase of a regular pita.
  1. Pita Pit
    2228 Grand Ave
    BillingsMT 59102
  2. Pita Pit
    311 Alexander St

    RochesterNY 14604
  3. Pita Pit
    1100 Jefferson Rd

    RochesterNY 14623
Have you checked into any of these locations recently?

Friday, November 11, 2011

Pita Pit's National Conference 2011

This week was Pita Pit USA's 5th National Franchise Conference. The conference was held in Atlanta, GA from Tuesday, November 8th - Thursday, November 10th and was a lot of fun for everyone in attendance.

During the conference, Pita Pit had 2 guest speakers, keynote speaker Mark Scharenbroich and Nick Powills, CEO of No Limit Media Consulting. Pita Pit's corporate staff also recapped everything that occurred in 2011, including our participation in Dine Out for No Kid Hungry program and the Pulled Pork Pita and Black Bean Pita, and highlighted the exciting things to come in 2012.

There were a 120 people who attended this years conference, and this included our fellow franchisees in Canada, Korea and New Zealand! This provided us with a great opportunity to learn about each other and the difference's there are in running Pita Pit's in different countries.

During our Award Ceremony on Thursday night, we gave out two major awards:
  1. Rookie of the Year
  2. Franchisee of the Year
The winner of "Rookie of the Year" was a father and daughter team, Christy and Bob Whitkop of Jacksonville Beach, Florida.

The winners of "Franchisee of the Year" was a husband and wife team, Dennis and Laura Sallee of Vancouver, Washington for their outstanding embodiment of Pita Pit's ideals and hard work.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Pita Pit's Franchisee Referral Program

Did you hear?! Pita Pit is looking for new franchisee's..... and are offering cash reward of $5,000 to find them! Do YOU know anyone?




What do you have to do?
It's easy! Provide a referral to Pita Pit and if the individual opens a new location with us, you will receive Pita Pit's cash reward of $5,000. To be eligible, you must first register using a form you can fine here, on Pita Pit's Fan Page, or by submitting a hard copy to this addess. 


Pita Pit Inc.
105 N. 4th St.
Suite 208
Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814


A Broker or any party receiving a commission and anyone but the first referring party are excluded from the reward. And do make sure the individual you're referring indicates you on the initial Franchise Application, or you won't get PAID!


Do you know someone that you think would be a great Pita Pit Franchisee? Make sure you fill out the form!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Pita Pit Dine Out, Not Kid Hungry Participation Recap


First, we would like to thank all of our fans for making our first year a part ofShare Our Strength's, Dine Out for No Kid Hungry campaign so successful!

We want to highlight some of our great moments from this year.

We had 62 Pita Pit locations participate. They each donated $0.50 for every fork style sold to Dine Out for No Kid Hungry, while also taking customer donations. To make this fun for everyone, we had a company-wide competition to see who could raise the most money for Dine Out for No Kid Hungry!

Our winner was Kristi Grob, owner of the Billings, MT Pita Pit! Kristi, her staff, and her amazing customers raised an impressive $1,505 in customer donation and $99 in salad sales, making her grand total $1,604 in donation to Share Our Strength!


The race between our stores was tight though! Second place went to Tom & Annette Cruse who raised a total of $1,473 from their Sioux Falls, SD store and third place went to Jim Talley who raised $1,088 from his Great Falls, MT store!

The amazing efforts between our participating stores and fantastic customers was recognized by Share Our Strength, who nominated Pita Pit for the prestigious "Rookie Of the Year" Award. The award is given out with many others at the Share Our Strength Conference of Leaders every year.

We had the fantastic opportunity to attend the Conference of Leaders held October 15-17th.


Though we unfortunately did not win the "Rookie of the Year" award, we are very proud of our company as we share the nomination with some very large brands including Chicago Metallic, Jimmy Dean and Williams-Sonoma.

Please enjoy these photos that were taken at the Conference of Leaders.

Conference of Leaders Award Dinner
Conference of Leaders Flash Mob
Chairman and CEO Billy Shore with Pita Pit employee Lisa Aitken & Billings store owner Kristi Grob
We had such a great time participating in Share Our Strength's Dine Outfor No Kid Hungry and can hardly wait to start again next year!

Help us end Childhood Hunger in America by 2015 and take the pledge: http://nokidhungry.org/

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Pita Pit featured on QSR

Pita Pit secured a release in the QSR entitled "BBQ Pulled Pork Pita Rolls into Pita Pit." The release discusses our Limited time Pulled Pork Pita available at all locations.


On Oct. 3, Pita Pit launched its new Pulled Pork Pita. The pita is available at all locations, but for a limited time only. While the official end date of the BBQ Pulled Pork Pita limited-time offer is Nov. 13, stores may continue selling while supplies last. Pricing will vary by location.


Friday, October 14, 2011

Pita Pit featured in The Bryan Eagle

Pita Pit was recently featured in The Bryan Eagle entitled "Pita Pit execs hungry for another shot." The story features Pita Pit corporate store manager Marc Foglesong taking over two College Station locations and lends insight to his climb through the ranks of Pita Pit to enjoy success in the company. It also provides perspective from Pita Pit vice president of brand development on why College Station was worthy of a corporate takeover, as well as the company’s plans to add 10 new locations within the next two years.

By: Shauna Lewis

Pita Pit's corporate executives hope their recent takeover of the chain's two locations in College Station will be followed by 10 new eateries in the area in the next two years.

The Pita Pit in Northgate at 403 University Drive reopened Oct. 4, and company representatives expect the store on South Texas Avenue at Holleman Drive to reopen in early November. The eateries were shuttered in the summer after the former owner looked into selling them or closing and moving them.

But College Station is too good of an area to allow the eateries to stay closed, said Peter Riggs, vice president of brand development for Pita Pit USA.

"If it's a great location like in College Station, we take it over and keep it running," Riggs said.


Friday, October 7, 2011

Pita Pit Introduces It's New Pulled Pork Pita

On Monday, October 3rd, Pita Pit launched it's new Pulled Pork Pita! The pita is available at all locations but for a limited time only. The official end date is November 13th, but stores may continue selling while supplies last. Pricing will vary by location.

The Pulled Pork Pita is built off a generous portion of roasted pulled pork grilled in abundance of BBQ sauce. It will come topped with lettuce, onions, pickles and cheddar cheese, but, of course, our fans are able to choose the toppings that they want on their pita.

We are very excited about this addition and hope our fans are too! Let us know what you think and don't forget to make it a combo and SAVE!

Friday, September 30, 2011

Pita Pit featured on Tri-City Herald

Pita Pit was featured in an online article on Tri-City Herald on two separate days. The article is entitled , "Pita Pit in Pasco helping to battle child hunger." Pita Pit owner John Clapper discusses his locations participation's involvement with the Dine Out No Kid Hungry Campaign throughout the month of September. Throughout the entire month, the Pita Pit will donate $.50 of every fork style salad sold and for everyone who donates $1 to dine out, Pita Pit will match with another $1 off coupon for the next visit. Click here & here to view both articles.

By: Kristi Pihl

The Pasco Pita Pit is participating this month in a campaign to end child hunger in the U.S. by 2015.


Owner John Clapper decided to have his business help with the Dine Out No Kid Hungry campaign in September.


(Read More)


Friday, September 23, 2011

Pita Pit featured on blog VRG.org

Pita Pit was recently featured on The Vegetarian Resource Group Blog in an article entitled, "Pita Pit Restaurant Chain Offers All-Vegetable Menu Items." The article discusses our Garden Pita that can include a large variety of veggies and that you have the choice between a pita or a Fork-style. The article continues to describe the available vegetarian toppings options, the falafel & hummus, and the spicy black bean burger pita. Currently, Pita Pit's veggie pitas make up 10% of all pitas sold. Click here to read the full article.

By: Jeanne Yacoubou, MS, VRG Research Director

Vegetarians and vegans looking for, according to Pita Pit, “healthy food, not health food” may find it at Pita Pit. This quick service chain serving unconventional fare began in Canada in 1995. Pita Pit began United States franchising in 1999. Located throughout the US at over one hundred locations, Pita Pit offers white or wheat pita bread filled with several different all-vegetable items including hummus, falafel or a black bean patty. Pita Pit offers a Garden Pita made with your choice of a large variety of vegetables. Fork-style pita salads are also available. All pita dishes include choice of toppings, sauces, and a cheese for those who’d like one or more of them.

In June 2011, the VRG spoke with a senior staff member at the US Pita Pit corporate headquarters in Coeur d’Alene, ID who told us that currently their veggie pitas comprise approximately 10% of all pitas sold. The falafel and hummus are all-vegetable. Since May 2011, they have offered a spicy black bean burger pita without eggs in the patty. We were informed by Pita Pit that “It is a vegan product according to the box it comes in.” As of this writing, we have not yet heard from Pita Pit regarding the natural flavors in this product and in others thought suitable to vegans including the babaganoush (offered at http://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.htmparticipating locations only) and the Teriyaki Sauce. There is no Ingredient Statement available on Pita Pit’s website.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

twEAT OUT with Dine Out & Pita Pit!

Monday, September 19th is going to be a BIG day for Share Our Strength, Dine Out No Kid Hungry! The day is not only the second day of the Dine Out Week, it is also the day where Dine Out has their largest Tweet-A-Thon! According to blog "Be The Change", at last years twEAT OUT (as it is so creatively named), "over 1,000 people helped spread the word by posting 10,000 tweets about the campaign in just one week!" The efforts of these 1,000 individuals helped the "restaurant industry increase funds raised over prior year by 108%, raising $1.5 million dollars to help end childhood hunger in the United States."

This year, we want to have over 2,000 Bloggers, Tweeters and Facebookers to help promote Dine Out For No Kid Hungry! @PitaPitUSA will be tweeting all day Monday in hopes to get our fans involved in the twEAT OUT!


Here is how our followers can help:


To ensure that Dine Out For No Kid Hungry starts the week with a bang, Dine Out is holding a twEAT OUT all day on Monday, September 19. Join in the fun and help spread the word about Dine Out For No Kid Hungry on Twitter and Facebook!


When: Monday, September 19, 2011 | 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST


How to Participate:


On Twitter:

Follow @Dine_Out and @ShareStrength.
Retweet messages about the Dine Out For No Kid Hungry from these two accounts.
Use the hashtag #NoKidHungry in all your tweets
Share this tweet:
I’m dining out for #NoKidHungry this week. Join me by finding a participating restaurant in your area: http://ow.ly/2fhoI


On Facebook:
“Like” Share Our Strength

RSVP “YES!” to Dine Out For No Kid Hungry event on Facebook

Share news about Dine Out For No Kid Hungry with your Facebook friends:
I’m dining out this week for Share Our Strength’s Dine Out For No Kid Hungry. Join me by finding a participating restaurant near you! http://ow.ly/2fhoI


Other Sample Messages:


Feel free to share more messages on Facebook and Twitter. Use these verbatim or customize them yourself:

  • @Dine_Out TODAY and help make #NoKidHungry in America! Here’s how: http://j.mp/aXxpIk
  • There are over 5,000 restaurants participating in @Dine_Out for #NoKidHungry! Find one close 2 U! http://j.mp/aXxpIk
  • Where will you be dining this week for @Dine_Out for #NoKidHungry? Pick a restaurant near you and let us know! http://j.mp/aXxpIk
  • Now’s the time! @Dine_Out to ensure there is #NoKidHungry in America! Make your plans here: http://j.mp/aXxpIk


We are very excited to participate in this creative event and hope that all of our fans on Twitter will follow us and participate in the twEAT OUT!



Friday, September 9, 2011

Pita Pit Dine Out, Not Kid Hungry YouTube Video

As we have stated before, we are extremely excited to be participating in Share Our Strength's, Dine Out for No Kid Hungry!

We are so excited in fact, that we have created a YouTube video discussing our participation!

Reminder, we are donating $0.50 for every Fork Style pita sold at participating stores. Also, for every dollar a customer donates, we will give them a dollar back!

Check it out here to watch our video or watch below!


Thursday, September 1, 2011

Pita Pit featured on AnnArbor.com

Pita Pit was featured on AnnArbor.com, the daily newspaper for Ann Arbor, Michigan titled, “The Pita Pit offers quick, tasty meals in campus area.” The article gives a great restaurant review of Pita Pit which was recently opened in Ann Arbor by Kay Miller, local operator and franchisee, discussing the various options ranging from vegan and vegetarian options to breakfast and grilled meats. Pita Pit in Ann Arbor gives students a great alternative to fast food options and is open late every night and focuses on delivery to the surrounding area and to campus. In addition, there is a great slide show and a description of the different types of pitas that the reporter tried at the Pita Pit. Click here to view the entire article.


The Pita Pit offers quick, tasty meals in campus area

By: Julie Halpert


When Kay Miller was a child, she enjoyed visiting The Pita Pit in Canada, where the franchise originated. Now, she's an owner of the new Ann Arbor outlet, which opened on July 20 on East University. The 26-year-old with a self-described "entrepreneurial spirit" thinks The Pita Pit, with its late-night hours, delivery and vegetarian options, is a great fit for University of Michigan students.

The Pita Pit is the latest new restaurant to offer a limited menu of fresh, healthful food, prepared quickly. The ambience is basic, yet cheery, with bright green tables and tile flooring.

There are three categories of pita sandwiches: breakfast, meat and veggie, along with packaged chips and soft drinks. Salad isn't on the menu, though servers will offer to mix some veggies together from the assorted toppings that are offered. There are also no soups or desserts.

Friday, August 26, 2011

New Pita Pit Openings This Month

It's been a great month so far for Pita Pit! This month 3 locations have been added to the over 200 other US locations, and another is set to open by the end of the month. The new locations are located in:

Ann Arbor, MI
Lehigh Valley, PA
Melbourne, FL
St. Louis, MO - coming soon!

Look out for these new Pita Pit locations as well as many more that will be opening soon!


Friday, August 19, 2011

Pita Pit Participates in Dine Out, No Kid Hungry

We are excited to share the news that we are participating in Share Our Strength's Dine Out for No Kid Hungry!



Share Our Strength is a national organization working to make sure no kid in America grows up hungry. They weave together a net of community groups, activists and food programs to catch every at-risk child.




Share Our Strength has many ways to help raise funds and donate, but Pita Pit is participating specifically in Dine Out for No Kid Hungry. Dine Out is a national event that brings together thousands of restaurants and millions of consumers to help make sure no child in America grows up hungry with the hopes of ending childhood hunger by 2015.

Dine Out for No Kid Hungry occurs one week every year. This year it is being held September 18-24, 2011. However, Pita Pit is hosting a month long fundraiser from Sept. 5 - Oct. 2, 2011.

During Sept. 5 - Oct. 2, participating Pita Pit locations will donate .50 cents for every fork-style (salad) sold! All of our pitas can be prepared in this fork-style option for and even healthier eating experience.


We of course will accept additional donations also! Give a buck, we'll give a buck back! Any additional donations $1.00 or more will receive a "Thank You" certificate with a $1.00 OFF your next pita coupon.

We have taken the pledge to end childhood hunger in America by 2015 and ask that all of our fans take it with us! We have made the pledge available on our Facebook fan page here. You can also view all of our 63 participating locations here.

Unwrap your usual and help end childhood hunger in America. The salad bar has been raised!


Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Pita Pit featured in Vancouver Business Journal

Pita Pit was featured in an article today in the Vancouver Business Journal for Dennis and Laura Sallee as they just opened their fourth Pita Pit titled, “Fresh success in a down economy.” Dennis Sallee discusses the success that he and Laura have found in the Vancouver market since opening their first Pita Pit in 2008 as well as the healthy, customizable food options that Pita Pit makes that are perfect for everyone. In addition, Dennis and Laura are only the second Pita Pit in the 300-plus unit franchise that has the Coca-Cola Freestyle machine that provides over 100 different drink choices. Click here to view the full article.


Fresh success in a down economy

By: Jodie Gilmore


Give the customer what they want and watch every penny – this is the bread and butter of Dennis Sallee’s success with the Vancouver-area Pita Pit restaurants he co-owns with his wife, Laura.


The Sallees have opened three additional Pita Pits since their first in Fisher’s Landing in 2008: one in Hazel Dell, one in Orchards and one in Ashland, Oregon. Sallee hopes to open “at least two more” Pita Pits in the Vancouver area – possibly at the Westfield Shopping Mall as well as a mobile unit.


Sallee said he would choose his locations carefully, because “it takes three daily rushes to make one of these work” (lunch, dinner and catered platters of sliced pita sandwiches).


(Read More)


Friday, August 5, 2011

Franchisee Profile: Richard Gross, Franchisee of Saucon Valley & Lehigh Valley, PA


View Larger Map

Opening Date: August 4, 2011


Location: Saucon Valley & Lehigh Valley, PA


Q: Where are you from?

A: Although I transferred to the Bethlehem PA area in 1992, I’m originally from Chicago and have been in Boca Raton Florida sing 2007. My son, Matt, actually runs the Pennsylvania stores. My other son works for Intel.


Q: What was your career before franchising?

A: In addition to assisting my son with the Pita Pit locations, I’m also the Chief Financial Officer for Mori Lee, a bridal company.


Q: Why did you decide to open your own business?

A: I decided to help my son open his own business because he was passionate about being an entrepreneur after graduating from Penn State. When I asked him what he wanted to do with his education, he informed me that he wanted to open a Pita Pit restaurant. He chose a great location, so we decided to go for it.


Q: When choosing a franchise, what were the criteria you used to make your decision?

A: Because my son loved the food so much, he knew he wanted to be a part of the Pita Pit team.


Q: What was appealing to you about joining a franchise system?

A: Joining a franchise system was appealing to Matt and me because systems are already in place and it allows for better profits due to buying power. There’s absolutely no way you can get such attractive prices on your own, simply because you don’t have the purchasing power. However, the franchise system allowed us to utilize the franchise’s buying power to its fullest.


Q: With regard to your previous experience, what skills do you feel helped you in your business?

A: With extensive experience as a Chief Financial Officer, my ability to watch and know numbers has helped tremendously. I’m able to reconcile monetary transactions and monitor food and labor costs immeditaltey and can identify wehn soemthing is not going correctly.


Q: What makes your business different?

A: Our business is different because of the quality and quantity of food Pita Pit provides. It makes people happy.


Q: What are your expansion or development plans?

A: Approximately six months after the upcoming opening in the Lehigh Valley Mall, I hope to begin working with the Simon in the King of Prussia Mall. Our goal is to open a location in the mall’s food court in order to gain high foot traffic. If we do well, the sky’s the limit with Simon mall openings! When it’s all said and done, we’re hoping to have four or five Pita Pit locations.


ABOUT PITA PIT

Founded in 1995 in Ontario, Canada, The Pita Pit was a fast food restaurant with a new and unique approach. The goal was to offer quality, healthy, fresh food fast. Realizing great success, franchising began across Canada in 1997. Franchising in the United States began in 1999, and Pita Pit Inc. was formed. The first US store opened at Syracuse University and the second near the University of Idaho. In April 2005, Pita Pit Inc. was acquired by Idaho-based Pita Pit USA, Inc.. The Pita Pit concept now boasts 300 stores in North America, and is recognized as No. 1 in its category in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500. The Pita Pit connects healthy food with people seeking alternatives to the typical fast food choices. Pita Pit’s motto is “fresh thinking – healthy eating”, and features a menu based on the customer’s choice of grilled meats, fresh vegetables, zesty sauces, and a pita rolled into a unique and convenient package. Pita Pit Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho-based Pita Pit USA, Inc. For more information about The Pita Pit, visit www.pitapitusa.com.


Monday, August 1, 2011

Pita Pit featured on AnnArbor.com

Pita Pit was recently featured on AnnArbor.com welcoming Pita Pit to the Ann Arbor market under the direction of franchisee, Kay Miller. The article was titled, “Pita Pit to open new downtown Ann Arbor restaurant today,” and discusses all of the great things that Pita Pit brings to the market including fresh, healthy and quick food options for local businesses as well as students. Also, the new Pita Pit will offer delivery and have plans to stay open until 4 a.m. every night. In an environment like Ann Arbor, Kay believe that Pita Pit will fit in well because of the progressive nature of the city looking for both environmentally and health conscious food choices. The restaurant opened just in time for the annual Ann Arbor Art Fair. Click here to view the full article!

Pita Pit to open new downtown Ann Arbor restaurant today
By Lizzy Alfs

A Mediterranean-style restaurant chain called Pita Pit is opening a restaurant near the University of Michigan campus today, just in time for the Ann Arbor Art Fair.The restaurant is located at 615 East University Avenue between Mia Za’s Cafe and Lucky Kitchen Chinese restaurant.

The Pita Pit, located at 615 East University Avenue, is set to open today in downtown Ann Arbor.

(Read More)

Monday, July 25, 2011

Pita Pit featured in The Hartford Business Journal

Pita Pit was recently featured in The Hartford Business Journal, in an article titled “Bloc of franchises eagerly target Hartford.” In the article, Peter Riggs, vice president of franchise development for Pita Pit, explained that the brand is looking to expand to Connecticut. The brand has also recently taken part in several franchising roundtables to spur franchise growth throughout the country, and to provide educational opportunities to potential franchisees to learn about various businesses and see what is involved in starting a business. Click here to view the full article!

Bloc
of franchises eagerly target Hartford
By Brad Kane

Twelve franchises which share the burden of not being familiar names have banded together to push into the Greater Hartford market.

Either the franchises already have a presence in Connecticut, have excellent sales from limited locations and want to expand; or the franchises exist in far off places and are lured by the promise of higher incomes and positioning between Boston and New York.

“Connecticut is a great area with a lot of stability,” said Peter Riggs, vice president of franchise development for the Idaho restaurant chain Pita Pit, which has 300 locations in North America but none in Connecticut. “There is great stability in the economy of that area compared to the rest of the country,”

(Read More)

Monday, July 18, 2011

Pita Pit featured in South Florida Business Journal

South Florida Business Journal reporter Susan Miller spoke with VP of Brand Development, Pete Riggs, on some innovative ideas on how they are finding franchisees. The virtual roundtables, he says, is an educational tool for franchisees. “If we work together, then we can rest assured that we are helping franchisees find a career that truly fits them, instead of being sold into one.” Click here to view the full article! Also, you can learn more about franchising opportunities at the Pita Pit Franchising page!

Franchisors join forces to pitch business concepts
by Susan R. Miller

Some South Florida franchisors have found a new way to reach more potential franchisees: virtual roundtables.

Those who consider becoming a franchisee can find navigating the vast number of potential opportunities overwhelming, as there are literally thousands of options from which to choose.

(Read More)

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Food for Flood Relief

Pita Pit was recently featured in a segment with CBS KMEG 14 entitled “Food for Flood Relief”. Pita Pit owner Mark Lennon hosted a fundraising event throughout the month of June at his store where they donated $1 from every combo meal sold to the Siouxland Red Cross. Mark discusses Pita Pit’s community involvement after the flood, and how they are aiding recently displaced flood victims through a 100% contribution to the Siouxland Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. The company’s contribution enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance to flood victims. Watch the video and read the article here.

(SIOUX CITY, IA) More local businesses are joining the flood relief effort.

The Hamilton Boulevard Pit Pita is hoping dinner tonight will help feed the need for help across Siouxland. The restaurant is donating one dollar of every combo meal sold until the end of the month to the Siouxland Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

"We thought as small business owners here in the community this would be a great way for us to give back to the community quick and easy. Chance to help those in a time of tragedy," says Mark Lennon, owner of the Pita Pit.

(Read More)

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Pita Pit featured in Jacksonville Business Journal

Pita Pit was recently featured in an article in the Jacksonville Business Journal, entitled “Hungry times: 16 new restaurants at the Beaches” The article was composed from an interview with Christy Whitkop, who at just the age of 28 is opening the Pita Pit in Jacksonville Beach. The article discusses how Jacksonville Beach is seeing a lot of restaurants pop-up in the area, including the Pita Pit. A portion of the article is below and it can be read in its entirety by clicking here and becoming a subscriber.

Hungry times: 16 new restaurants at the Beaches

Christy Whitkop decided to open her first Pita Pit franchise in Jacksonville Beach after eating at one while visiting a friend in another state. She was impressed in part because it provided a healthier option than was otherwise available late at night.

Whitkop now owns one of 16 restaurants that have opened or will open so far this year in the Beaches area, which includes Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach and Ponte Vedra Beach. Retail real estate agents say the number of new restaurants in the area is a sharp contrast to both the number of restaurants ...

(Read More)

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Pita Pit featured in Florida Times Union

Pita Pit was featured in an article in the Florida Times Union, entitled “Pita Pit Opens Thursday in Jacksonville Beach.” The article was composed from an in-person interview with Christy Whitkop, who at just the age of 28 is opening the restaurant in Jacksonville Beach. The article discusses Christy’s entrepreneur story, her expansion plans, the Pita Pit’s menu options and how she will connect with the local community, including delivery and social media. Click here to view the full article!

Pita Pit opens Thursday in Jacksonville Beach
by Gary Mills

It didn't take long for Christy Whitkop to realize one restaurant's closure was her opening to get into the restaurant business.

Days after Lubi's Hot Subs closed at 500 Third St. N. in Jacksonville Beach in March, construction crews were busy demolishing the interior of the restaurant, making way for Thursday's opening of The Pita Pit.

(Read More)

Monday, May 9, 2011

Pita Pit featured on FastCasual.com

Pita Pit was recently featured in FastCasual.com in an article entitled, “Pita Pit to Give Customers Ultimate Choice.” The article delves into the creative way that Pita Pit turned to its loyal customers to help decide what flavors they want to see spicing up menus across the nation with its newest program, Ultimate Choice, which rolled out on May 2nd. Pita Pit surveyed its 72,000 eClub members and thousands of guests visiting individual restaurants to collect consumer preferences and tastes. After tallying up the results, the program will introduce nine new sauces, four new spreads, five new cheeses and 11 new toppings. Which new ingredients will appear at each location was determined by customer surveys. This program is just one more way for Pita Pit to engage customers in the product development process and continually satisfy their taste buds. Click here to view the full article!

Pita Pit to give customers Ultimate Choice

Pita Pit turned has turned to its loyal customers to help decide what flavors they want to see spicing up menus across the nation with its newest program, Ultimate Choice, which rolled out May 2.

Pita Pit surveyed its 72,000 eClub members and thousands of guests visiting individual restaurants to collect consumer preferences and tastes. After tallying up the results, the program will introduce nine new sauces, four new spreads, five new cheeses and 11 new toppings. Which new ingredients will appear at each location was determined by customer surveys.

(Read More)