From Our Family Kitchen
A Legacy of Pita Love
In our family, we believe in doing things big—big families, big dreams, and big flavors. Our grandparents, who raised 11 children, inspired our motto: “keep on climbing.” This spirit drives everything we do, from creating authentic Mediterranean dishes to sharing our family traditions with the Buffalo, NY community.
The Origin of Pita Gourmet: A Story of Heritage and Flavor
Long before Pita Gourmet existed, there was our grandmother’s famous pita bread. Our journey began in the 1970s when our grandparents emigrated from Lebanon to Buffalo, NY. Our grandmother, Teta Lulu, spoke little English but expressed her love through food—especially her signature pita bread. Grandma’s table never ran out of seats.
It was no secret when Teta Lulu was making her pita bread, and the aroma of Teta Lulu’s freshly baked pita bread was irresistible. Neighbors followed the scent to her door, earning her rave reviews that turned her homemade bread into a thriving business. Though she has since passed, her legacy continues at Cedars Bakery in Buffalo, a family-run operation where her grandchildren still bake her beloved pita bread with the same care and love. This pita bread became the foundation for our family’s first restaurant and remains central to our story today.
Keep On Climbing
In 2004, our mom, Samira Mahfouz, approached a food court vendor in the Niagara Falls Outlet Mall about using the family’s pita bread. The vendor turned down her offer, and the restaurant was closing permanently.
What seemed like bad timing was not at all. Our mom loved creating her own Mediterranean-American dishes, her family made pita bread, and now there was about to be a vacant restaurant. It was a trifecta. Why not take over the restaurant? She pitched her idea to her children—Farrah, Monique, Joseph, and Mark. We were on board. In 2005, Pita Gourmet was born.
The success of our first location prompted our Williamsville location in 2013. In 2019, we proudly opened our third location in East Amherst, our fourth location in Orchard Park in December 2020, and our fifth location in Amherst in January 2023.
