Pita chain hoping to wrap up NY
Steve Haddad is betting on the power of the pita. And he is hoping the recipe for success is already cooked – in Canada.
The Brooklyn native has acquired the rights to build out the Extreme Pita brand throughout New York City and Long Island, where the Ontario-based fast-food chain plans to place at least 55 locations.
“I’m probably going to double that,” boasts Haddad.
Haddad began to look for a new restaurant in the Big Apple after a stint with the family’s retail business. But he didn’t want to turn to the old standbys “I didn’t want to bring another McDonald’s, Dunkin’ Donuts or Subway,” he said. “I wanted to do something that NYC had never seen before.”
New Yorkers might know little about Extreme Pita, but it’s already a smash hit north of the border, where the chain has 200 stores. It has about 20 in the United States, where the company expects to see most of its future growth.
“New York is a great test for our brand because it has a high-quality food standard and a great population density,” said Nick Schaefer, vice president of franchise development in the United States for Extreme Pita.
Haddad said Extreme Pita will win over New Yorkers because it fits the bill as a niche between fast-food restaurants and casual dining.
“We consider ourselves upscale fast-food,” or fast-casual dining, Haddad said.
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