With dozens of eating options only minutes away from campus, many students tend to fall back on the cheap, fast and close ones. Although the convenience of pizza, burgers and sandwich joints usually outweighs the drawbacks of their unhealthy food, a new restaurant has deviated from this track. With over 300 locations in North America, the Pita Pit has just expanded and added one of its newest locations in Raleigh. 

Opened by Kimit Shah and University alum Pritest Patel, the Pita Pit in Raleigh strives to serve inexpensive, tasty and, most importantly, healthy food to college students. Situated on Hillsborough Street, just next to Packbackers and Marco’s Pizza, the Pita Pit offers pita sandwiches that can be filled with a variety of meat, vegetables and sauces.  

“Healthy food does not have to be expensive,” explained Patel, who studied computer science and business at N.C. State. “We understand that many students want to be healthy, but surrounded by fast food restaurants, it can be difficult. When I was in college I ate at a Pita Pit in Charlotte and Chapel Hill and thought it would do well in Raleigh. Finally we have one.”

The menu offers various permutations and combinations of sandwich possibilities. Examples of carnivorous fare include marinated chicken, Philly cheese steak and Gyro meat. Vegetarian options include falafel, hummus and babagonoush (roasted eggplant spread). They also serve breakfast pitas all day long. 

“More or less, it is like a Mediterranean Subway,” Patel said, before biting into the local specialty, the Howl and Pack. ”It’s spicy chipotle chicken and peppers, so by the time you’re done, you’ll be howling.”

In order to realize his dream to start up his own business, Patel partnered with longtime friend Kimit Shah. 

“I worked in the hotel and hospitality business for many years,” Shah said. ”The transition into the restaurant business has been smooth so far. For the most part, in the hotel business, I was mostly concerned that the customer was happy, and that is the same thing in working at a restaurant.”

The edge that the Pita Pit yearns to use against its competition is healthy eating. At the cash register, customers can check the nutrition facts of what they order. ”It’s a way for us to create more transparency between the customer and the food,” Patel said. 

Moreover, the Pita Pit is not catching a ride on the healthy eating trend, but rather it is setting it. 

“The company was started in 1995, and since then its popularity grew tremendously,” said Corey Bowman, vice president of Franchise Development. ”Right around this time, people started to become more concerned with living more health-conscious lifestyles.”

Bowman said he helps people like Shah and Patel get started with opening up new Pita Pit locations.

“From the application process to construction and opening, it takes about six months.”

Additionally, despite the adverse economic climate, the company is still expanding. 

“We generally thrive in college towns and recently we have added a $10,000 credit to franchisees to develop in college centers.”

Being deeply rooted in the college community has been extremely lucrative for the Pita Pit. 

“We are open from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. on most weekdays, but Thursday, Friday and Saturday we stay open until 3 a.m.,” Shah said. ”We see the most people between 1:30-2:30 at night.” 

Only walking distance from many residence halls, student neighborhoods and bars on Hillsborough Street, Patel said the late-night inebriated crowd can “satisfy their hunger, as well as eat healthy food.”

Not by coincidence, the two friends chose this location with much consideration. 

“It definitely was a strategic move. We searched about five months before we got this location,” Patel said. Additionally — much to students’ convenience — the Pita Pit also delivers and serves take out. 

Pita Pit will host its grand opening Sept. 16, the night of the football game against Cincinnati. 

“We just want people to stop by, get some good food and celebrate school spirit,” Patel said.       

It is not just ambition that drives Patel and Shah to come into work, but a deep connection with the University.

“We want to be integrated with the student body,” Patel said, “and in the future I hope we become a student landmark.”