For those with a dream of one day owning a restaurant, now you have a great opportunity to fulfil that vision by buying into the Tony’s Pita franchise. By opening a restaurant under the Tony’s Pita name, you’ll have access to the well-established brand and loyal customer base, as well as tried-and-true recipes, training programs and ongoing support. With proven business model and marketing strategies, you’ll be set up for success from day one!
Tony’s Pita is a casual Greek restaurant serving fresh, homemade food, that initially opened in Swiss Cottage, London, in 2018, and has since opened in two more locations, Palmers Green and Ealing Broadway.
The owner is Elton Shyti – Tony is a common nickname for Elton – born in Ngjeqar, Fier, Albania. He grew up in his village in Albania before moving to Vouliagmeni in Greece at the age of 14. He tried several different jobs, including working in a bakery, gardening, helping waiters and more.
Eventually he started working in the most famous restaurant of Vouliagmeni where he stayed for 10 years. His hard work paid off and he became a manager. When the financial crisis hit Greece, he knew it was time to move on and so came to London. He started from the bottom again, working in different places, but always held on to his dream of opening his own restaurant.
That dream became a reality in 2018 when the first Tony’s Pita opened its doors to the public. Quality and authenticity was, and is, the fundamentals of Tony’s Pita and to achieve this, Tony reached out to his ex-colleagues, all experienced chefs in Greece. They were happy to join his team and offered their knowledge and professionalism to bring the best of Greece to London through Tony’s Pita.
The restaurant grew steadily and now operates three restaurants in London, with more than 40 employees. Tony’s Pita Palmers Green opened in late 2021, followed by Tony’s Pita Ealing Broadway in early 2022. Achieving this was not an easy task; it required hard work and good aimed stubbornness that originated from the director and trickled down to every team member.
This success didn’t go unnoticed and Tony’s Pita won its first award in 2021 for Best Greek Restaurant at the annual British Kebab Awards. In 2022, they won again! And earlier this year, it was awarded Highly Commended. That’s when most would sit back and enjoy their success, but that’s not how legacies and franchises are born. Winning three times is a responsibility, it is a privilege and there’s pressure to hold on to such a huge standard. This is the time to show that they cannot only maintain it, but improve on it. And this is still just the beginning!
An ideal investor – what we’re looking for
- A commitment to excellence in customer service and professionalism
- Have an entrepreneurial spirit and strong desire to succeed
- The desire to be the owner-operator of their Tony’s Pita Restaurant
- Strong work ethics
- Good leadership skills, to manage several young staff in a busy retail outlet
- A high level of energy and charisma
- The ambition to develop and grow a business and have the passion to maximize a store’s potential
- Sound management and administrative skills
- Willingness to follow the Owner’s proven systems
- Maintain standards of Tony’s Pita branding
- Adhere to health and safety guidelines
- Offer for sale only approved menu items
- Comply with all relevant legislation
- Pay all fees and charges in relation to the business
The process will include:
- Submitting CV, proof of cash-on-hand, valid UK or European passport
- Date set for interview with the Tony’s Pita team
- The candidate(s) undertake store practice, has to produce a business plan, prepare cash flow forecasts
- Store availability and location discussed
- Store shop fit commences
- Countdown planning to store launch begins
- Planning of marketing, recruitment and staff training
- Store launches
For further information, please visit tonyspita.co.uk/franchise or email [email protected]
