MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – As Extreme Pita continues to explode in popularity, the Canadian quick serve franchise announces the celebration of its 10-year anniversary. From humble beginnings – founders and brothers Alex and Mark Rechichi hand-built the concept’s first location near the campus of Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo – Extreme Pita now has more than 200 restaurants operating throughout Canada and the United States, and is experiencing a double digit growth rate.
Throughout the past decade, the changing marketplace has presented a great growth opportunity for the Extreme Pita brand with fast food hamburger and sub shops over saturating the industry. Born at a time when the concept of fresh, healthy foods in the fast-food market was growing, Extreme Pita took advantage of the healthy food initiative and sought to establish itself as the formidable quick-service alternative by reinvigorating a 2,000-year-old traditional bread staple – the pita.
“The sector has been very strong for the last 10 years, and we came in at a time when it was just gaining momentum,” said Alex Rechichi, co-founder and president of Extreme Pita, referencing the efforts of major fast food restaurants like McDonald’s that spent millions to reposition themselves in the marketplace with healthier menus. “We broke ground not only with the way we have answered the call for healthful quick serve alternatives, but our menu has enabled us to feed consumer appetites in new and innovative ways, all while taking our business into profitability and great success.”
In addition to having opened an average of 20 restaurants per year, Extreme Pita’s successful crossover into the United States has highlighted the company’s first 10 years. Since entering the American fast-food landscape in 2005, the booming franchise has opened more than 20 U.S. restaurants, including its first urban location in the heart of New York City. The Rechichis also established a parent company in 2006, Extreme Brandz, and introduced their Canadian customers to Mucho Burrito, a fresh gourmet Mexican grill restaurant that features gourmet hand-rolled burritos, tacos and quesadillas.
Positioned in a niche between monster fast food outlets and fast casual dining environments, Extreme Pita continues to offer convenience and value with its fresh, nutritious and large selection of pita sandwiches. Featuring a “no rules” menu, the booming brand customizes every rolled pita to suit the individual tastes of its health conscious customers.
According to Rechichi, Extreme Pita’s first decade of success creates tremendous opportunity for continued growth, with company plans calling for a total of 500 restaurants throughout Canada and the United States by the end of 2010. “Given the unmatched talent of our franchisees, area developers and corporate personnel, and their commitment to our customers, I am confident that our experience and customer focus will help us drive continued success well into the future,” he added. About Extreme Pita
Extreme Pita was co-founded by Alex and Mark Rechichi in 1997. Their desire was to provide a product that would compete against traditional fast food concepts. Right from the start their idea was simple – sell fresh and healthy food. After a great deal of research and experimenting, Extreme Pita became the answer to this quest. Today the company boasts more than 200 locations in North America and is experiencing a double digit growth rate.
