Pita Pit

Petey celebrates with the 2009 Vanier Cup winners

admin — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 09:31:15 +0000

NOVEMBER 2009: Petey (a.k.a. Pita Pete Sr.) and Harvey Rosen, the mayor of Kingston, joined the crowds to cheer on the Queen’s University Golden Gaels as they paraded their hard-won Vanier Cup through the streets of Kingston and the university campus. It was the first Canadian university football championship win for the Golden Gaels since 1992—and what a thrilling game it was! Despite trailing the Calgary Dinos by 18 points at the end of the first half, they rallied in the second half to win 33-31.

Petey and Mayor Rosen pose for photos while the Vanier Cup winners do the same.

We’re a textbook case!

admin — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 09:29:15 +0000

The Limestone District School Board is using The Pita Pit as a case study. Boy, are we flattered. We made it into the Introduction to Business textbook used by high school students in the Kingston area. The case study points out that our success is that we single-mindedly do one thing and do it very well: make fresh, healthy pita sandwiches and serve them up fast (instead of offering just a few healthy items like typical fast-food outlets). We hope our example will inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs— and maybe even attract new Pita Pit franchisees in a few years’ time!

Excessive sodium hits the headlines.

admin — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 09:28:16 +0000

On September 15, the front-page story on The Globe and Mail’s was an exposé on the high levels of sodium Canadians consume, much of it hidden in processed and fast foods. It seems Canadians consume more than twice as much salt as they should every day. (The recommended daily intake of salt kids and adults 9–50 is 1500 mg. The actual average intake is 3092—and a whopping 4130 mg among 14-year-old boys!) Not mentioned in the story is the fact that meals from The Pita Pit are way lower in sodium than typical fast food fare. For example, a 1/6 slice of an 18” pepperoni pizza from Pizza Pizza contains 1630 mg of sodium; a Big Mac and medium fries? 1310 mg of sodium. A 6-inch Cold Cuts Combo sandwich from Subway? 1220 mg of sodium. A regular-size Pita Pit Chicken Breast pita with lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers? 411 mg of sodium (and only 2.4 grams of fat). So if you’re concerned about all the health risks associated with sodium,maybe you ought to eat at The Pita Pit more often.

We made it onto the list of top global franchises!

admin — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 09:26:51 +0000

In September, The Pita Pit was acknowledged as being among the global elite when Franchise Direct ranked us #49 on their list of the Top 100 Global Franchises. Looks good on our résumé, doesn’t it?

We rank high among privately owned companies.

admin — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 09:25:12 +0000

In August, the Pita Pit (US) was ranked #60 on Inc. Magazine’s list of 100 fastest-growing food and beverage companies in their annual Top 500 issue. (Our growth rate was clocked at 131%!)

Our growth proves you can’t keep a good idea down.

admin — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 09:23:57 +0000

In the August issue Restaurant Business, The Pita Pit made it onto the magazine’s “Future 50” list of the fastest-growing small chains in the United States. Not bad for an enterprise that began with two friends and one store in Kingston, Ontario back in 1995.

Toronto Star exposes high calorie counts in restaurant meals

admin — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 09:21:45 +0000

On April 8, 2009, the headline in the Star read: “1,230 calories and counting…That’s what a tuna melt sub packs; the kind of scary information that Ontario doctors battling obesity say belongs on restaurant menu.” The calorie counts for restaurant meals (including fast foods) was pretty darn shocking to the general public—but not to us at the Pita Pit. We’ve known for years that our fresh and healthy pita sandwiches have way fewer calories and less fat than other fast foods. In fact, we’d be proud to put our nutritional information right on our menu boards as well as our menus.

Entrepreneur rates us in the top 500 franchises.

admin — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 07:46:05 +0000

In January, Entrepreneur Magazine ranked The Pita Pit on their “Franchise 500” list of top franchise operations in the USA. What a great start to the year!

Ajax, ON

admin — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 11:47:14 +0000

Petey with Pita Pitters Scott & Jen at the school

St. Patrick’s Catholic School is one of many elementary schools in the Durham Region that has made a stand around healthy lunches for their students. To tackle this initiative, the school recently partnered with the Pita Pit in Ajax at 105 Bayly Street West. Pita Pit staff, along with Petey, their mascot, stops by the school twice a month to provide healthy and delicious lunches for the students and staff. Students get a choice of pita, fruit and drink in this well-rounded meal that follows Canada’s Food Guide. With the help of The Pita Pit, the school has successfully been transforming the minds of children by showing them that “fun food doesn’t have to be junk food.” For more information, visit their website at www.ajaxpitapit.com.

St. Catharines, ON

admin — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 11:46:35 +0000

Fresh new look

The newly renovated Pita Pit in St. Catharines, ON is now open for business and ready to roll up everyone’s favorite pitas again. New franchisee Jeff Kozak gave the Pita Pit at 160 St Paul Street a total makeover. So now locals can enjoy the same fresh, healthy pitas they’ve enjoyed there since 1998, but now they can enjoy them in terrific new surroundings.