Pita Pit, a fast food franchise based on the tagline “Fresh Thinking, Healthy Eating,” will make its debut in Milwaukee this September as 26-year-old entrepreneur Andrew Culp opens the first restaurant location on the city’s east side.
The restaurant will be located in a 1,800-square-foot space at 2224 N. Farwell Ave.
Culp first encountered Pita Pit – and became a weekly customer – during his freshman year at Montana State University in Bozeman, Mont.
The Milwaukee resident has always been interested in opening a franchise, and about a year ago he visited Pita Pit’s headquarters in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, to approach the corporate office about becoming a franchisee.
“I’ve always liked small business, and just the way it operates,” Culp said.
While researching markets in which to open his first restaurant, Culp realized that Milwaukee didn’t have any Pita Pit locations.
Adding a Pita Pit to the city’s collection of fast food staples will give customers variety and a healthier menu option, according to Culp.
“The city has a lot of burgers and pizza and subs but not a lot of other healthy options,” he said.
At Pita Pit, which Culp compares to restaurants like Jimmy John’s and Subway, diners can customize pitas with a number of meats, vegetables and other toppings including roasted red peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, dried cranberries and jalapeño’s.
The restaurant has more than 400 locations worldwide, including one in Madison, Wis., and prides itself as “a fresh and healthy alternative to traditional fast food,” said Corey Bowman, vice president of franchise growth for Pita Pit at its Idaho headquarters.
“We believe in being passionate about changing people’s lives on both sides of the counter,” Bowman said.
Culp aims to open his first Pita Pit as soon as he is granted an extended hours permit so that he can serve patrons until 3 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. He expects to be in full operation the week after Labor Day and will eventually employ between 30 and 35 employees in primarily part-time positions.
Following the opening of Culp’s first franchise on the east side, he plans to open two more restaurant locations in greater Milwaukee within the next two years.
In addition to Pita Pit, Culp will continue to operate a skateboard shop, A2B Board Shop, in Grayslake, Ill. Culp opened A2B Board Shop in 2009 as his first entrepreneurial venture.
“Both my parents are very hardworking people, and…I think I got the entrepreneurial spirit from my grandpa, who was involved in real estate and owned his own architectural firm in Indianapolis,” Culp said.
For more information about Pita Pit’s menu options, visit www.pitapitusa.com.
