Member Article

Pita Pit in the fast lane; great start for new Leeds eatery

Hundreds of people visited the launch of Pita Pit, a new healthy eatery that opened at the Merrion Centre last week.

This Canadian based outlet, which has 490 stores worldwide, has chosen Leeds as the location for its second UK branch. Pita Pit created five more jobs than originally predicted in Leeds, 15 new roles have been filled and the quick service outlet is still welcoming applicants as recruitment continues.

Sales have exceeded the company’s forecast. Over 400 pittas were served on the grand opening, since then they have been consistently selling over 300 every weekday, which is twice as many as the average Pita Pit outlet sells in one day. The most popular filling has been chicken closely followed by halloumi and falafel. Since opening, shoppers and commuters have also been cashing in on the 500 breakfast vouchers, which have been given away.

Shish Patel and his partner Olsi Papa are responsible for bringing this culinary delight to Leeds, Shish comments; “We’ve been delighted with how well the pitta sandwiches have been received, every lunch time since opening we have had a queue of over 100 people eager to try our delicious recipes, low fat sides, ethically sourced coffee and healthy drinks. We also have quite a unique setting for people to relax and enjoy their lunch with a large leafy living wall, giving a park life feeling indoors!”

Pita Pit will be making its debut appearance at the Merrion Loves Food demonstration on the 6th June, giving out free samples and advice on how to make your own healthy and tasty pitta bread sandwiches. Pita Pit will be joined by Shake Bar and PRYZM nightclub, who will be sampling free mocktails.

Susan Mendoza, Merrion Centre Manager comments; “Pita Pit has been inundated since it opened, not just with shoppers, but also with near by office workers, I know first hand Merrion Centre staff are all fans! It’s great to have such a vast range of amazing eateries to choose from. We’re thrilled they are part of our Merrion Loves Food demonstration, we’re setting up a temporary kitchen in the main mall, allowing our wonderful array of cafes, restaurants, bars and eateries to show customers how to re-create culinary masterpieces at home. There will also be a few free tasty samples for people to try as well.”

Shish has plans to open another 10 Pita Pits in Leeds over the next five years and Pita Pit will open its third UK outlet in London on 16th June.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Janie Readman .