Pita Pit in Justice Court Plaza (Vernon Matters photo)

By Kevin Rothwell

Korean and Lebanese flavours

New food franchises set up in Vernon

Feb 28, 2024 | 5:30 AM

Two new fast food franchises are looking for success in Vernon.

The rapidly-expanding Pita Pit chain has a location open in the Justice Court Plaza. The company has around 230 franchises in Canada and over 450 worldwide.

There are four locations in Kelowna, two in Kamloops and the new location in Vernon at 2901 27th Street.

The company was started in 1995 by Nelson Lang and John Sotiriadis in Kingston, Ontario. They were convinced the time was right to offer a fresh, healthy alternative to traditional high-fat, high-carb, high-calorie fast foods.

Their Lebanese-style pita sandwiches packed with fresh veggies, grilled meats and zesty sauces were an instant hit with the college and university crowd, especially since the store stayed open late, making it perfect for students taking a break from studying or coming home after a night of partying.

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Within two years, franchise stores had begun opening right across Canada. Two years later, they were opening in the U.S. where the concept took off immediately with consumers of all ages.

Chicko Chicken is in the plaza across from MacDonald Park. (Vernon Matters photo)

A relatively new B.C. franchise is also getting ready to open in the plaza across from MacDonald Park. Coquitlam-based Chicko Chicken features Korean-style fried chicken. An opening date was not available.

Every store receives raw chicken daily which is rested for a few hours, cleaned and prepared. Orders are cooked fresh as they are received. The chicken is sourced locally with the marinades, and sauces imported from South Korea.

The company has over 40 locations with dozens of stores in the Lower Mainland and one in Kelowna.