Pita Pit on WPMT Fox 43 Central Pennsylvania

Pita Pit was recently featured on WPMT Fox 43 Central Pennsylvania in a segment titled, "Healthy Lunch Options for Work."  Marco Sardi of Pita Pit discusses the healthy options that they offer. Marco discusses how they fill a nutritional gap that majority of fast food restaurants are unable to fill. Marco goes over a variety of pitas that they brought into the studio. Dan discusses the fresh fruit smoothies that they offer. To go along with the location in York, Pita Pit also has locations in Lancaster, Harrisburg, and Elizabethtown.  See below for the segment or click here.

Pita Pit opens in York, Pennsylvania!

This week Pita Pit opened its doors at 1911 Spring Wood Road in York, Pennsylvania! Stop in, say hello, and grab a pita. You won't regret it. 

Pita Pit featured on Central Pennsylvania Business Journal

Pita Pit was recently featured in the Central Pennsylvania's Business Journal in an article titled, "The Pita Pit franchise growing in Central Pa.," which was built from a phone interview with franchisee, Brad Alexander. Brad discussed the upcoming of the third location in Central Pennsylvania in Elizabethtown after opening two Pita Pit restaurants in Lancaster and Harrisburg. Alexander and his business partners have big aspirations for the brand and are looking to owning 10-15 Pita Pit locations in Dauphin, Lancaster and York counties with a possibility of even expanding in to the Reading area. The group joined together to find healthy, late night options for young professionals and people who are becoming more focused on the types of food that they put in to their bodies. The brand has really taken off in the area and the partners hope to have another four locations open in two years.  For the entire article click here or begin below.

The Pita Pit franchise growing in Central Pa.
By: Jason Scott

The Pita Pit, an Idaho-based quick-service restaurant franchise that caters to health-conscious consumers, is expanding in Central Pennsylvania.

Since September 2010, Lancaster County entrepreneurs Brad Alexander and Nathan Groff and their business partners have opened locations in Lancaster and Harrisburg.

In late May, the group plans to open a third location in Elizabethtown, with long-term plans of owning 10 to 15 locations in Dauphin, Lancaster and York counties, Alexander said. The Reading area also is a possibility, he said.

"We're looking for demographics where there are young professionals and people starting to become more focused on what they are putting into their bodies," Alexander said. "It's a convenience food, but it's also an excellent balance between timeliness and healthiness."

The brand caters to college students and the downtown business crowds. Pita Pit focuses on specializing pitas to order by giving guests the opportunity to choose from freshly grilled meats, vegetables and sauce options.

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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!

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

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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.

Franchisee Profile: Brad Alexander of the Lancaster, PA Pita Pit

Open Date: September 22, 2010

Location: 398 Harrisburg Ave Suite #500
Lancaster, PA 17603

Phone: 717-517-7111

Hours of Operation: Sunday – Wednesday 9am – 10pm; Thursday – Saturday 9am – 3am


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How Brad Got Started with Pita Pit…
While entertaining several franchising opportunities, including an approval with Nathan’s Famous Hotdogs, entrepreneur Brad Alexander stumbled upon Pita Pit while dining with his brother at an established Pita Pit location. There he instantly fell in love with Pita Pit’s fresh taste and overall brand concept and delved into researching franchising opportunities. Once he realized that his “good to be true” idealization of Pita Pit was not a myth, Brad partnered with friend of ten years and likeminded entrepreneur Nathan Groff to bring the first Pita Pit to Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Brad’s Entrepreneurial Background…
Brad is no stranger to entrepreneurship, having started his first business at the age of 18 to finance his college education. After college, Brad continued down the entrepreneurial path and has owned and operated a handful of successful businesses in the hospitality and real estate industries, laying the foundation for his in-house leadership role at his Pita Pit location. He will be joined by partner Nathan, who has owned several martial arts studios in the past, in the day-to-day operations and the success of Pita Pit.

Note: Brad and Nathan want the focus of pitching efforts to be less about them personally and more about the business of Pita Pit.

Brad’s Plans with Pita Pit…
With Lancaster positioned between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Brad is optimistic for the city’s growth and thus, success of Pita Pit. Finding a home for his Pita Pit location in an old foundry building near the Frankin and Marshall College campus, Brad hopes to become a favorite among college students and people who love fresh and healthy foods. As he grows the brand within Lancaster he and Nathan will explore additional restaurant locations as opportunities arise.

Pita Pit Opens in Lancaster, PA and is Featured in the Intelligencer Journal

The Intelligencer Journal recently published an article about the new Pita Pit opening today in Lancaster, PA. The article, entitled, “The Pita Pit arrives here,” also has photos of the new store built from a photo shoot set up with Pita Pit owner Nathan Groff. The piece announces Pita Pit’s arrival to the city and can be found below, and the original article can be found by clicking here.

The Pita Pit arrives here
By Chad Umble

The Pita Pit, which features Lebanese-style pitas, is opening Wednesday in Champion Forge Center, 398 Harrisburg Ave. It is next to Sukhothai Restaurant in Suite 500.

The Pita Pit's menu has sandwiches with a number of meat and vegetable fillings and a variety of toppings, including souvlaki, gyros and falafel sandwiches. It also offers salads and smoothies. It features takeout food, but also will have seating for 12.

The Pita Pit is a franchise that began in Canada in 1995 and now has more than 100 locations there and almost 200 in the United States. This is the first one in Lancaster County. Owners are Brad Alexander and Nathan Groff.

Hours: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday to Saturday. Phone: 517-7111.

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