|
|
March 19, 2004/Adar 26 5764, Vol. 56, No. 26
Pita's potential goes extreme
RAEANNE MARSH
Special to Jewish News
With food service in his blood and nutrition in hers, the concept underpinning Extreme Pita seemed a perfect fit for Joe and Anita Roth's entrepreneurial endeavor. They snapped up master rights for the franchise here in Arizona and opened their first store next to the Harkins Theatre at Scottsdale Road and Loop 101.
"We came across the Extreme Pita concept (in) Canada," relates Roth. "We thought, 'Wow. If we brought this to Arizona, think how many active, healthy lifestyle-type consumers we'd reach.'"
The concept is fast, fresh, healthy and convenient. A straightforward formula, but, says Roth, it may take some getting used to.
"People aren't used to having everything their way."
And the choices are almost overwhelming; unexpectedly so, perhaps, given the compact size of the eatery. Choose a gyro, a pizza, a salad, or, of course, a pita sandwich - big circle of bread folded open to hold an appetizing array of fillings - with a carb count that's probably lower than you'd expect since they use a thin pita. If you need the numbers, a colorful chart lists them for you - along with fat grams, protein, calories and (for those who've mastered metric) kilojoules.
Chicken souvlaki, shrimp and falafel share menu space with stand-bys like grilled chicken and sirloin steak. Vegetarians, please note that meats and veggies never mix in the bins or on the grill.
"There are a lot of Mediterranean choices on the menu," points out Anita Roth, noting pita shares that heritage. But we're in the Southwest, and the Roths realized certain elements of cuisine are taken for granted here - salsa and jalape¤os, in particular. So, while the Extreme Pita franchise is designed to be consistent throughout its network, convincing the franchise founders to accommodate our Southwestern palate "was not a hard sell," says Joe Roth.
Healthfulness is the main concern, Anita Roth explains. All the produce is fresh and anything grilled is saut‚ed in water. Gourmet sauces range from exotic babaganoush and tzatziki sauce to honey mustard and poppy seed. The concept was born seven years ago when brothers Alex and Mark Rechichi found their college community offered lots of fast food but little that was healthful.
Their concept clicked immediately with the Roths.
"People are getting more health-conscious," observes Anita Roth, who, as a registered nurse, has helped people with nutritional planning. "It's not just for themselves; they monitor the whole family."
With that in mind, Extreme Pita is making the menu even more kid-friendly, going beyond the kid-sized pizzas to add food-and-drink combos and new pita pocket choices. Plus, they offer catering platters to let you bring it on home.
Joe Roth, who grew up in the food service and distribution business but left it for a few years to run the private nursing facility his family owns, says he's glad to be back in food service. He enjoys meeting and greeting customers, and thrills when they share compliments such as "I crave your Chicago gyro," or, more simply, "Thank you for opening." It reinforces his belief that "we're making an impact" with a quality product.
But they also want to impact their Jewish community, explains Anita Roth, who became a Jew by choice prior to the couple's move to Israel in 1991. In their company, they've set in place programs that benefit scholarship programs for preschool children at the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center (the second Tuesday of each month, they donate 10 percent of sales made to JCC members) and the Chanen Preschool at Temple Beth Israel (similar arrangement, but on the second Monday of each month). "We're hoping to have funds for Extreme Pita to open a memorial fund for Joe's mom," she adds.
Now with more than 110 stores, the franchise offers "unlimited potential," Joe Roth says. Through CMB Franchising, Inc., (the business entity they established when they began their Extreme Pita operations; the letters refer to their children Courtney, Megan, and Benjamin) the Roths have already begun to build their Arizona network, selling "a complete turnkey operation."
They're looking at sites in Payson and Prescott, have their eye on Flagstaff and Tucson, and are moving along toward an April opening for an Extreme Pita at Northsight and Raintree in North Scottsdale.
Extreme Pita is located at 7000 E. Mayo Blvd., Scottsdale. Call 480-502-1200.
RaeAnne Marsh is a local free-lance writer.
|
