Top Of The Food Chain

Duane Dalton: ‘The new Egg’d and Bowl’d concepts make the Pita Pit franchise even better!’

Pita Pit boosts franchise profitability with new brands, new technology and new ideas

You don’t succeed in the food business by standing still – and Pita Pit’s commitment to innovation has kept it at the top of the food chain for 15 years.

Today, the franchise is seeing average same-store sales revenue higher than ever before. There’s a partnership with government to provide lunches for schools and, with new in-store products underway to extend sales into breakfast and evening times, the opportunity is looking more attractive than ever.

‘Pita Pit® has kept growing because, right from the start, we focused on providing a “better for you” alternative to burgers and fries,’ says director Duane Dalton. ‘Pitas are made to order right in front of you with fresh fillings and low-fat protein that you can eat every day. Vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free or gluten-free? We’ve got you covered – although chicken is still most customers’ preferred protein. It all adds up to a successful, sustainable business model.

‘And recent initiatives are really helping franchisees drive profitability and make even better use of their assets.’

Keeping school kids fed

Pita Pit are extremely proud to be a key supplier to the Government-funded Ka Ora, Ka Ako Healthy School Lunch Programme, which aims to reduce food insecurity by providing students with access to a nutritious yet tasty lunch in school every day.

‘Our nationwide network is facilitating the supply of school lunches to over 11,000 students daily at over 75 schools,’ says Duane. ‘In accordance with the Ministry of Education nutrition guidelines, our lunch for schools menu has been specifically designed to ensure that it not only provides students the fuel they need to learn but tastes great, too. Each specially-prepared lunch contains minimal saturated fat, salt and added sugars, with more variety of fresh, healthy fruits, vegetables and salads.

‘It’s a great programme for participating franchisees, allowing them not only to provide for their local communities but also add valuable income to their revenue stream through the preparation of lunches outside the busiest store times.’

New brands on trend

The school lunch programme helps franchisees maximise the return on their investment in equipment and premises, and that’s also the aim behind two newly-launched brands under Pita Pit. ‘You’re paying rent 24 hours a day, so you want to earn for as much of that time as possible,’ Duane points out.

‘During the pandemic, we introduced two virtual brands which could only be ordered through UberEats. These were very successful and are being rolled out as a walk-in offer in participating stores from October.’

The first is Egg’d®, which provides a simple yet delicious breakfast and brunch menu with a spotlight on free-range eggs as well as free-farmed bacon, smoked ham, halloumi, smashed avocado, tasty cheese and more.

At the other end of the day, Bowl’d® offers a range of warm rice and salad bowls inspired by flavours from around the world such as Korean BBQ, Mexican Fiesta and Meze Bowls, along with side treats such as kumara fries and sesame grilled broccoli.

‘These new concepts make the Pita Pit franchise model even better,’ Duane says. ‘Some stores are seeing incremental sales increases of 20-30 percent without cannibalising regular sales. The brands appeal to different taste profiles and different day parts, and with motivated franchisees building local awareness as we roll them out in-store, we expect them to be even more profitable.’

Technology boost

Yet another area where Pita Pit franchisees are benefiting from innovation is technology. Duane says, ‘We’ve invested significantly in a new online ordering app and a digital loyalty platform, and we’re also launching in-store ordering kiosks that can help eliminate order anxiety.

‘Together, these changes will boost both sales and efficiency in-store. They enable the staff to concentrate on making delicious meals on demand and ensure that all wages are as productive as possible.’

New opportunities

Pita Pit already has plans for three more new stores this year, and Duane says there are more to come. ‘We’re being offered tenancies around existing food premises, many of which have facilities such as extractors already in place. That can reduce the investment required significantly, and our track record means the banks are very helpful when it comes to finance.

‘Growing demand also means we’re expanding into smaller towns. These can be highly profitable – in fact, some of our happiest franchisees are in the regions. And we have some long-established franchisees who are looking to retire, so there are opportunities there, too.’

So what does it take to succeed as a Pita Pit franchisee? Duane is clear: ‘You don’t need a hospitality background, but you must have a passion to serve top quality food. You need to be able to build relationships with your customers, community and staff, and you need to be prepared to work in the store yourself. It’s hard work, but we’ve found working owners achieve the best sales, and the best profitability – they keep their food and labour costs in check.

‘Do that, and you’ll find Pita Pit can offer you very healthy returns indeed. Give me a call or visit our website to find out more.’

Advertiser Info

Pita Pit

Contact Duane Dalton

P 0-9-486 4664 M 021 355 880

duane@pitapit.co.nz

www.pitapit.co.nz

New Pita Pit brand Egg’d® provides a simple yet delicious breakfast and brunch menu with a spotlight on free-range eggs as well as free-farmed bacon, smoked ham, halloumi, smashed avocado, tasty cheese and more.