Pita Pit
Company typePrivate
IndustryRestaurants
FoundedJuly 20, 1995; 28 years ago (1995-07-20) in Kingston, Ontario[1]
FounderJohn Sotiriadis and Nelson Lang
Headquarters
Kingston, Ontario
,
Canada
Key people
Parent Company: Foodtastic (September 2021 – present)
ParentFoodtastic Edit this on Wikidata
Websitepitapit.com

Pita Pit is a Canadian quick-service restaurant franchise serving pita sandwiches with fresh vegetables, grilled meat and sauces.[2] Its Canadian and global headquarters are in Kingston, Ontario.[3] Its United States headquarters are in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.[4] As of September 2021, it is owned by Foodtastic.

History

The first shop was opened by Nelson Lang and John Sotiriadis in 1995 near Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.[5][2] The restaurant was located near the college and aimed at students in the hopes it would be "recession-proof".[6] The store stayed open until late, providing a healthier and fresher late night food option to conventional fast food.[2]

In 1997, Pita Pit started to expand within Canada, and in 1999 they began franchising in the United States.[5][2]

The first Pita Pit location outside Canada and the United States opened in Auckland, New Zealand, in August 2007. The business was set up by Chris Henderson, a New Zealander returning from Canada, and Duane Dalton, the husband of netballer Tania Dalton.[7][2]

By 2011, Pita Pit had expanded to 350 stores in Canada, the United States, New Zealand, Panama, South Korea and Brazil.[2]

By 2020, it had over 500 locations in India, France, Brazil, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Ireland and Sweden.[5]

On September 1, 2021, it was announced that Québécois restaurant franchiser Foodtastic had acquired Pita Pit.[citation needed]

Pita Pit International

New Zealand and Australia

Pita Pit New Zealand has 85 stores around New Zealand, including 26 in Auckland.[8] This down from about 90 stores in 2020 and more than 100 stores in 2017,[9][10] but still more than the 65 it had in 2014,[11] and 18 it had in 2011.[2]

The business also has nine stores from Australia,[12] down from 14 in 2017.[10]

The company is based in Takapuna, Auckland where it opened its first store in 2007.[13]

Pita Pit New Zealand started actively seeking franchises in 2011,[2] and by 2017 the vast majority of stores were franchisees.[10]

The chain introduced a diabetes-friendly menu in 2016,[14] and introduced a fillings limit in 2019.[15] It started to trial virtual kitchens in 2020, after many of its stores were unable to open during the COVID-19 pandemic.[16]

References

  1. ^ "Pita makers keep rolling". The Kingston Whig-Standard.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Taylor, Colin (November 19, 2011). "Pita Pit's expansion rests with franchisees". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. New Zealand Herald.
  3. ^ "Contact." Pita Pit. Retrieved on February 23, 2010.
  4. ^ "Contact Pita Pit Archived February 18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine." Pita Pit. Retrieved on February 23, 2010.
  5. ^ a b c "Our Story." Pita Pit. Retrieved on July 25, 2020.
  6. ^ Hollie, Shaw (April 14, 2016). "Pita Pit's international expansion coming at just the right time as competition heats up at home". Financial Post. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  7. ^ Taylor, Colin (November 19, 2011). "Pita Pit's expansion rests with franchisees". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  8. ^ "Pita Pit". pitapit.co.nz. Pita Pit.
  9. ^ du Plessis-Allan, Heather (September 2, 2020). "Pita Pit dives into world of virtual restaurants". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Newstalk ZB.
  10. ^ a b c McNicol, Hamish (April 9, 2017). "That's a wrap: How Pita Pit went from one NZ store to more than 100 in a decade". stuff.co.nz.
  11. ^ Venuto, Damien (September 1, 2014). "The rise of fast-casual: Pita Pit launches its first TVC via Contagion". ICG Media. Stop Press.
  12. ^ "Pita Pit Australia". pitapit.com.au. Pita Pit Australia.
  13. ^ Taylor, Colin (November 19, 2011). "Pita Pit's expansion rests with franchisees". APN News & Media. New Zealand Herald.
  14. ^ Tantau, Kelley (December 6, 2016). "New Pita Pit menu could be start of diabetes-friendly fast food". stuff.co.nz.
  15. ^ Templeton, Sarah (May 3, 2019). "Kiwi customers outraged after Pita Pit introduces fillings limit". MediaWorks New Zealand. Newshub.
  16. ^ Shaw, Aimee (September 1, 2020). "Pita Pit dives into world of virtual restaurants". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. New Zealand Herald.

External links

Retailers in New Zealand
Categories