Pita Gourmet expands with new Tonawanda location, plans Cheektowaga site

Pita Gourmet is working to open two new locations.

The local restaurant chain has signed a lease with Benderson Development for 2,300 square feet at 3030 Niagara Falls Blvd. in Tonawanda, where it will occupy space originally intended for Rachel’s Mediterranean Grille.

The opening of that location in late summer will follow the closing June 30 of Pita Gourmet’s original location at the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls, where the Mediterranean cuisine eatery got its start in 2005.

“It was kind of a good fit as far as timing and location,” said Joe Mahfouz, who co-owns the business with his brother, Mark. “It touches our demographic well in a high-traffic area. We actually had talks about that location when it was originally built four years ago, so it kind of came full circle.”

The departure from the outlet mall coincides with the end of its lease.

“It has nothing to do with that specific location, we obviously got started there. … We just made a decision as a company that we’re out of the mall game,” he said.

The Tonawanda location will have the smallest footprint compared to its five other sites, but will include some seating, though Mahfouz expects third-party delivery will be a big part of business at the site.

A seventh location will follow next year as part of a new build next door to Moe’s on Union Road in Cheektowaga, which is expected to open in spring 2026 in a plaza owned by Acquest Development, Mahfouz said.

Pita Gourmet is working with Bevilacqua Development on the build-outs for both sites.

The company has been growing steadily, with an expansion into Hamburg completed in 2023 at a former Pizza Hut site.

Plans call for hiring 8-10 employees for the Tonawanda site to supplement staffers coming over from the Niagara Falls location, plus another 15 at Cheektowaga. The company currently employs about 100 staffers.

By Tracey Drury – Senior Reporter, Buffalo Business First

May 13, 2025