Pita Pit, founded in 1995 in Kingston, Ontario, now has about 200 units here and in Canada. Most of the US stores are in college towns, but Ryan Wilkinson, who is heading up the New York-area's franchising efforts, says that the city is a good fit for the chain because of the many high-traffic areas with large lunch and late-night crowds.

Though Wilkinson is looking for 1,000-sf spaces throughout Manhattan, he says that he, and his two franchisee partners, Brian Armstrong and Joe Mergie, don't want to expand too quickly. "We're kind of taking a conservative approach," he says. Adds Pamela LaDew, William B. May's senior managing director of retail leasing, "We're going to do it right. We're not going to just open to open."

The Pita Pit menu offers Middle Eastern fare, such as falafels and hummus, but the restaurants also serve food found in most delis, like roast beef and turkey. Wilkinson insists that his company's concept is different from the typical falafel stands found around New York City. "We have a whole assortment of things," he says. Wilkinson also says that the company prides itself on its clean restaurants and fast service. "If there's no one in the store, I can have you out in 50 seconds."