Introduction of Flex Improves Business For Pita Pit

Pita Pit were recently in an article on "The Flat Hat" titled, "Introduction of Flex Improves Business For MOOYAH, Pita Pit". The article discusses how the Williamsburg Pita Pit has been added to the college's meal plan. The article begins with a little background on Pita Pit being added to the student meal plan where students can use Dining Dollars and the success they've since seen. You can read the full article here or begin below.

"Introduction of Flex Improves Business for MOOYAH, Pita Pit"
By Amelia Lucas

Sodexo USA has brought many changes to the College of William and Mary this semester, but based on the number of Dining Dollars students are using, the addition of Tribe Square restaurants to the meal plan might be the most beloved new change.

Alpen Patel, the owner of Williamsburg MOOYAH and Kim Twine, the owner of Pita Pit, have both noticed an increase in business from College Students

Click here to read the entire article.

Pita Pit in the Williamsburg Yorktown Daily

Pita Pit in the Williamsburg Yorktown Daily in an article titled, "Tribe Square Business Owners Requesting Inclusion in W&M Meal Plans." The article begins by talking about the impact that The College of William and Mary’s mandatory meal program is having on the restaurants in Tribe Square. The article gives some specifics on how sales have dipped since the meal plan went into place, then gives details on the meal plan itself. They include some quotes from the college about their stance on the issue, and a student who lives in Tribe Square is quoted about his dissatisfaction with the mandatory meal plans. The article then goes into the problems caused by the fact that the restaurants exist in a building with student housing on top, and the restaurants on the bottom. The article ends with information about the William & Mary Real Estate Foundation and a note that the college official wouldn’t know more until January.  Click here for the entire article or begin below.

Tribe Square Business Owners Requesting Inclusion in W&M Meal Plans

By: James Needham

Businesses at Tribe Square are struggling. The Crust is up for sale and both Pita Pit and MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes have experienced drops in sales this year.

It has sparked a response from the business owners of all four restaurants who have requested to be included on the mandatory meal plan being rolled out at the College of William & Mary. Pita Pit Owner Brandon Twine wrote a letter earlier this month to W&M’s Vice President for Finance Sam Jones, detailing how the businesses were working with a lawyer to work toward a resolution. 

Last year, Pita Pit brought in $500,000 in sales, Twine said in an interview with WYDaily. With one month left in 2013, the business has so far brought in $330,000. In February 2012, MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes brought in about $60,000 in sales and this year brought in $30,000, said owner Alpen Patel.

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Pita Pit Featured in The Daily Mississippian

Pita Pit was recently featured in The Daily Mississippian in an article titled, "Eating Healthy and On-the-Go: Pita Pit Comes to Oxford.”  This article discusses Jack Brighenti, restaurant manager Muri Soares and Peter Riggs who discussed Pita Pit opening for the first time in Mississippi. Jack opened the new location in Oxford to bring something different and healthy to the Southern University, something that people could eat late night and on-the-go. The location opened at the end of May, but haven’t had a problem being slow, and have seemed to really connect with the community and the university students, even during the summer months. Pita Pit in Oxford also offers Ole Miss students the opportunity to use their dining dollars on the Ole Miss Express.  Click here for the entire article or begin below.




Eating Healthy and On-the-Go: Pita Pit Comes to Oxford
By: Alex Dejoy

With over 200 locations across the four corners of the United States and every where in between, Pita Pit has found a new home in Oxford.

Located on North Lamar Boulevard, right off the square, owner of the new Pita Pit, Jack Brighenti, thought this would be the perfect location to provide healthy eating to both students and the Oxford community.
He is the owner of two other Pita Pits, which are located in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. His newest location is the first to open in the state of Mississippi.

“It definitely has that youthful kind of energy around; a lot of undergraduates and graduates, a lot of intellectuals, professors, and also the community itself," Brighenti said. “The historic roots and the Square here, we were just kind of drawn to it. We just thought it would make a good fit to provide something healthy to that demographic.”

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Pita Pit featured in The Alestle

Pita Pit was recently featured in The Alestle in an article titled, "Pita Pit offers fresh food fast."  The article discusses how Pita Pit offers a healthy alternative to fast food for college students. Jim Hettler talked about Pita Pit is very popular amongst college campuses. Also, Jim talks about how he started franchising with Pita Pit and why he decided to open up in Edwardsville, IL. The article also interviewed some students who shared that they have interest in trying out the food that Pita Pit has to offer.  Click here for the entire article or begin below.

Pita Pit offers fresh food fast
By: Andrew Richards

Healthy eating options are piling up in Edwardsville, and Pita Pit is the newest member of the eat-right movement.

James Hettler, a retired Air Force officer of 23 years from Belleville, opened a Pita Pit restaurant on Monday at 215 Harvard Drive in Edwardsville, just off Troy Road.

Pita Pit has more than 300 locations in the U.S. and Canada. At first glance, it seems like an alternative to Subway. They allow customers to top pitas any way they like with a number of vegetables, cheeses and sauces to choose from. However, the restaurant is known for its healthier choices of food including sandwich meats and cheeses on Lebanese-styled pita bread, zesty sauces and fruit smoothies.

Hettler said he got the idea to start a Pita Pit franchise four years ago when he got his first taste of it while taking his daughter back to school at the University of Iowa. He spent more than an hour and a half talking to the owners about how to run one of the franchises.

“I was looking to start one then, in 2008,” Hettler said, “but because of the economy tanking, I wasn’t able to get it up and running.”
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Pita Pit featured in QSR Magazine

Pita Pit was recently highlighted in QSR Magzine. The article discusses various brands that have built a strong presence in college towns across the U.S. and Pita Pit was one of the main concepts featured. The college demographic is continuing to grow, and Pita Pit is definitely taking advantage of it. Below is a portion of the article with a link directing you to the full article.

Fans for Life
Quick serves find loyalty in the growing college crowd by opening on or near campuses.
By Jill Watral

Other brands not interested in locating directly on campus make sure to position their restaurants in entertainment districts just beyond campus borders. Though it has locations at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and at the University of Wyoming, Pita Pit likes to grab the patronage of nonstudents, too.

“We want to kind of be close enough to campus that we get that daytime traffic from the students, but usually we try to locate in the entertainment district or a downtown area so we’re not completely tied to the student population,” says Kevin Quinn, director of franchise development for Pita Pit USA. Out of the 180 Pita Pit locations in the U.S., 100 are located near college campuses.

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