Growing Fast Casual Brand Urges Restaurant Industry to extend calorie transparency across Canada
With the turn of the new year behind us, and most resolutions abandoned, Canadian consumers will again be subjected to the familiar drone of misleading marketing jargon and ad campaigns from a restaurant and retail industry promising healthy options inside of increasingly dull and uninspiring menus.
These unrealistic expectations do not sit well with Pita Pit Canada, the Ontario-founded global franchise with millions of ridiculously tasty and “healthy on your terms” menu options. Pita Pit has announced plans to roll out full calorie information at all of its Canadian restaurants, more than 200 locations, with plans to have this completed by the end of 2018. This is a voluntary extension of the 2017 Ontario legislation requiring food service providers with 20 or more locations to include the number of calories for every food and beverage item on their menu, labels or tags.
“We are constantly pushing ourselves to be the best option for our customers,” said Kevin Pressburger, President of Pita Pit Canada. “While calorie compliance in Ontario has been a great start – Pita Pit Canada is taking this a step further. All Canadians should know what is in their food and shouldn’t be surprised by the nutritional information after the fact. Pita Pit has always been transparent about our offerings to our Pita Fanatics, and our national calorie roll-out will take this promise to the next level.”
The brand has built a loyal fan base by offering countless delicious combinations of freshly grilled meats, vegetables and zesty sauces, all wrapped up in a delicious pita. At the same time, Pita Pit Canada’s “Healthy on Your Terms” food philosophy offers health-conscious customers an array of better choices to achieve their own personal healthy eating and lifestyle goals. This crave-able combination of healthy and ridiculously tasty alternatives has fueled customers’ passion for Pita Pit and offers an easy alternative to other on-the-go options that may not be as friendly to the waistline.
Pita Pit Canada took a stand against tired and boring restaurant options in 2017 by highlighting its fresh grilled, fully customizable menu, asking Canadians to REFUSE TO SETTLE for anything less. The 2018 national calorie transparency initiative is the latest addition to the brand’s innovative REFUSE TO SETTLE campaign –challenging Canada’s QSR industry to be better and doing so by demonstrating through example.
“Committing to a more active lifestyle and making smarter choices when it comes to food should not be stressful,” said Pressburger. “Customers should still be able to enjoy delicious food without having to worry about the impact it’s having on their body. So, our industry must be committed to being more transparent nationwide, helping these customers make those choices that will ultimately prompt a simple solution to stay healthy in 2018.”
Founded in 1995 in Kingston, Ontario near Queen’s University, Pita Pit® is an innovative fast casual restaurant with a unique mindset that challenges consumers to Refuse to Settle for anything less than quality, healthy, freshly grilled food. After rapidly earning a loyal following in its home market, franchising began across Canada in 1997 and, in 1999, the brand expanded to the United States. Now boasting more than 650 stores across North America and internationally across 13 countries, Pita Pit offers its customers millions of ridiculously delicious, customizable flavour combinations of grilled meats, fresh vegetables, and zesty sauces all rolled into a unique and convenient pita package. For more information about Pita Pit, visit www.pitapit.ca or www.facebook.com/pitapitcanada.
