by Erin Moody
Chief Reporter
After almost six months of sitting empty, the location of the former business Sud’s laundromat in the Village is being renovated to accommodate a new restaurant: The Pita Pit.
The Pita Pit, a chain of more than 207 stores, promotes itself as being “fresh thinking” and “healthy eating.”
The restaurant offers a variety of pitas as well as soups and salads. Also, a “build-your-own-pita” option allows customers to create their favorite pita.
Plans are in the works to have the restaurant open by the beginning of December, owner Lucas Smelzer said.
Although Smelzer has been a district manager and opened several stores in Ohio for other owners, this is his first independent operation.
“I decided it was time to make all the hard work pay off,” Smelzer said.
He began looking into opening The Pita Pit in Muncie after some Ball State students stopped by one of his restaurants in Ohio. He said they were impressed and needed one in Muncie.
“I actually visited Muncie a couple of times and saw the laundromat and thought it would be a wonderful spot,” he said.
The Pita Pit, located at 509 North Martin Street, will be competing with several other sandwich shops in the Village, including Subway, Jimmy John’s and TJ’s, but Smelzer said he thinks it will do well.
Two other shops, Roly Poly and Blimpie’s, have both moved out in the past few years.
“Every campus in Ohio has been wonderful and not just the students but the whole town,” he said.
Jimmy John’s General Manager Matt Turner said they are not worried about competition even though the new restaurant will be located right across the street.
“I’m not scared. We’re better. We put Roly Poly out of business, and we can do it again. We are too good,” he said.
However, he also said he thinks students will try The Pita Pit because it is something new.
Senior Rachel Woodard agreed and was excited about the new shop.
“I think it’s amazing. We need more diverse cuisine,” she said.
Woodard, who lives right by the Village and crosses through it to get to classes, said as long as the food is good and the prices are low, The Pita Pit will be successful.
However, other students do not agree The Pita Pit is the right restaurant for the location at this time.
“I understand it’s supposed to be healthy, but I just don’t know what kind of business it will get with Subway and all the other competition,” freshman Zach Athey said. “I think most people would rather just go to the Atrium.”
In the next few months, Smelzer said he is going to be making frequent trips to Muncie “to check on things and get to know the town a little better.”
“From what I’ve seen, it’s great, and the people are open to the idea,” he said.
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