Pita Pit featured in Belleville News-Democrat

Pita Pit was recently featured in the Belleville News-Democrat in an article titled, "Air Force veteran tries his hand as restaurateur."  The article focused on Jim Hettler and his upcoming Pita Pit opening in Edwardsville, IL. The article told Jim’s story of how he discovered Pita Pit and why he decided to franchise with the brand. Further, the article discusses some Pita Pit menu items and how the food is a healthy alternative to fast food.  For the entire article click here or begin below.

Air Force veteran tries his hand as restaurateur
By: Will Buss

Jim Hettler is the owner of Pita Pit at 215 Harvard Drive in Edwardsville, and hopes to have the restaurant open in early June.

Outlook: "I wanted to go out there and see what I can do and be a part of it."

Since retiring from the U.S. Air Force, Jim Hettler has had his own home-building business and is now preparing to open a restaurant. The veteran is the first metro-east franchisee of Pita Pit and plans to open his first restaurant next month in Edwardsville with plans to open another in O'Fallon at some point. His will join 300 U.S. locations in the chain that connects consumers with a healthier dining option and alternative to the typical fast-food choices. Pita Pit's motto is "fresh thinking -- healthy eating" and features a menu of grilled meats, fresh vegetables and zesty sauces rolled in pita bread. Hettler recently talked to business writer Will Buss about his service in the military and his life as a civilian entrepreneur:

How did you find this pita bread-based restaurant chain?

"Four years ago, I was taking my daughter to Iowa City to find her a place to live because she was accepted to go to law school there, and we were going through town trying to find a place to park, and we happened to park in front of a Pita Pit. It just so happened that I was thinking about opening a little restaurant of this nature in our local area."

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Read more here: http://www.bnd.com/2012/05/28/2189038/air-force-veteran-tries-his-hand.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy

Pita Pit featured on the Washington Post

Pita Pit was recently featured in the Washington Post in an article called, "Returning from war and turning to franchising." The article discusses how former military members were are able to use their past experience and veteran status to segue into the franchise industry. Veterans turned business owners find that the business structure of owning a franchise mimics the organization and order of their military schedule. In the article, Pita Pit-Las Vegas franchisee Nathan Sinclair discussed how the Pita Pit corporate office was very supportive after he returned from tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the month that Nathan’s been open, he has learned valuable lessons about being a business owner and managing a team. Click here to view the entire article.
Returning from war and turning to franchising
By: Olga Khazan

Nathan Sinclair performed tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan with the Marine Corps, but he intended to start his own company immediately after he returned. He saved up his earnings and began e-mailing with the franchise office of Pita Pit, a favorite fast-food joint of his, from his base in Afghanistan.

“They were really supportive of me -- they were helping me find a location and get all my financing for the fee,” Sinclair said. He opened his Pita Pit in Las Vegas on January 23, positioning himself strategically near the University of Nevada Las Vegas and its hungry students.
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