Wed 14th Aug 2013 - Costa franchisees bring Canadian health chain to the UK Costa franchisees bring Canadian health chain to the UK: A couple who run 17 Costa Coffee franchises in the north west are launching a Canadian health food chain's first site in the UK. Simon and Tracy Vardy will open the first British branch of Pita Pit in Manchester city centre - and hope to open a further 24 over the next ten years. The couple’s Sim Trava business already runs 17 Costa Coffee franchises employing 140 people. Pita Pit was founded in Canada in 1995, by Nelson Lang and John Sotiriadis and there are now 430 sites in North America, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Trinidad and Tobago, France and Brazil. The unit being opened by the Vardys is in Piccadilly Place and will create seven jobs when it launches in October. The couple have signed-up to launch a total of 10 sites over the next five years and then 15 more the following five - they also plan to open a further five Costa Coffee sites by 2015. The Pita Pit store will occupy 1,614 square foot on the ground floor of Piccadilly Place, next to Starbucks. The chain's motto is 'Fresh Thinking and Healthy Eating' and supplies made-to-order pit wraps that are low in salt, carbohydrates and calories. Customers of Pita Pit order their sandwiches based on the main ingredient (offerings include Philly cheesesteak, falafel and chicken souvlaki) and then the customer specifies the other ingredients they would like to be added from selection of cheeses, (offerings include feta, cheddar, and Swiss), a salad bar (offerings include alfalfa sprouts, jalapeño, and pineapple), and a selection of sauces and spreads (including tzatziki, Caesar salad dressing, and honey mustard). Simon Vardy, who launched Sim Trava in 2005, told the Manchester Evening News: “I went from having a proper corporate job to setting up Sim Trava and spent the first year and a half actually working in stores. It was great working with people in that environment and serving people and, to be honest, I miss that now that I have to spend more time running the business. We believe in Pita Pit and are excited to be involved in the company's expansion plans. It will hopefully be a really good addition to Manchester's food scene and it is great that the first branch will be opening in the city.” The Carlyle Group is Pita Pit landlord at Piccadilly Place. Director Ben Du Boulay said: “The arrival of the UK’s first Pita Pit restaurant, which is the latest addition to the retail and leisure offer at Piccadilly Place, is a strong endorsement of the quality of the space on offer and the strength of its location.” Cushman & Wakefield acted for The Carlyle Group. Nicola Harrington, of C&W, said: “Pita Pit will be a fantastic addition to Piccadilly Place providing a new and exciting food offer not only for the local office community but surrounding businesses and daily commuters. Pita Pit will no doubt be a huge success and we’re delighted that they have chosen Piccadilly Place as their first UK restaurant.”