History
Extreme Pita was founded by Alex and Mark Rechichi, two Canadian brothers, in 1997. The two came up with the name in order to distance the company from the pita's Middle Eastern roots and break out of the ethnic niche. As a solution, the name "Extreme Pita" was born, meant to encourage the idea of "extreme" sports and an active lifestyle. The first Extreme Pita opened near Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario in 1997, but the original location is no longer operating.
Extreme Pita's second franchisee was Sean Black, one of the current Vice Presidents of Extreme Pita. Black helped the company expand into new locations in Canada. The company continued to expand and grow over the years, expanding into new locations in Canada, from 1997 (the year when the first Extreme Pita was opened) to 2003 (when Extreme Pita began to expand into the United States). This continued expansion throughout Canada increased Extreme Pita's recognition as a brand name, and allowed it to challenge already-established fast food companies like Subway and McDonald's. This growth also provided the company the money to expand and franchise in the United States. By 2007, there were about 200 stores in Canada. Extreme Pita also prides itself on being a healthy low fat snack, and is also well known for its vegetarian options. The Canadian-based Extreme Pita began to expand to include stores in the United States in 2003, beginning with Arizona. The company has continued to add locations throughout the United States, mainly through franchising. In many cases, the franchisees were the ones most eager to expand the company and to increase Extreme Pita's brand name recognition. Since 2003, Extreme Pita has expanded into locations in California, New York, Texas, and other parts of the Western, Mideastern, and Northeastern United States.
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