IN THE NEWS

A growing Canadian restaurant chain that bills itself as a healthful fast-food option will expand to El Paso and seeks a franchise owner in the Borderland.

Extreme Pita plans to open its first El Paso restaurant, probably in the Kern Place area, this year, said Nick Schaefer, vice president of development and real estate for the company’s U.S. operations.  Two more local restaurants will be added within a year or two after the first one opens, he said. “We tend to gravitate toward locations adjacent to universities or large business and medical centers,” he said.

A franchise owner and exact location have not yet been found, Schaefer said.  An Extreme Pita restaurant costs about $200,000 to $250,000 to open, including franchise fees, construction, equipment and supplies.

The company’s restaurants usually have about 1,200 square feet and employ about 10 people, he added. “Our preference is to do a multi-unit (franchise) deal with someone in the El Paso market,” Schaefer said.  “We’re looking for partners as well as sites to kick the process off.”

John Hadjimarcou, chairman of the University of Texas at El Paso’s Marketing and Management Department, said, “El Paso seems to be an attractive market for franchisers and other restaurant chains.  “Any business that wants to expand is looking for growing markets,” Hadjimarcou said.  “It bodes very well for El Paso that businesses are looking at El Paso and seeing the opportunity for growth and success.”

Leo Duran Sr., co-owner of L&J Café and president of the El Paso Restaurant Association, said it sounds as if Extreme Pita “has done its homework” and the Kern Place area would be the perfect place for the chain’s first El Paso eatery.

Westsider Laura Rodriguez, an account executive with radio station EXA-FM (98.3), says she goes out to eat lunch with clients about four times a week and is looking for a healthful alternative.  “We need to get some different restaurants here in El Paso, some different choices,” she said.

The restaurant chain, founded in 1977, serves fresh-made sandwiches made with Lebanese pocket pita bread, pita pizzas and salads.  Extreme Pita has about 200 restaurants, including 25 in the United States.  The company plans to expand to 500 locations by the end of 2010.

Learn More

• Extreme Pita, a Canadian restaurant chain, plans to open an El Paso franchise this year, with two more to follow.
• The company seeks entrepreneur with whom to partner.  The cost to open a restaurant is $200,000 to $250,000.
• A typical Extreme Pita is in a strip mall anchored by a large retail or grocery tenant.
• Restaurants usually have around 1,200 square feet and 10 employees.
• Information: www.extremepita.com or Nick Schaefer, vice president of development and real estate, 303-955-6471 or nick@extremepita.com.

 


David Burge
El Paso Time
January 17, 2008

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