The numbers are in and it was quite a successful National Pita Day for Pita Jungle.
Back in March, the restaurant held an all-day promotion and raised $1,873 for the Arizona non-profit Waste Not, whose mission is creating sustainable food systems that help people and the planet flourish.
“Pita Jungle values and tremendously admires the aspiration and achievements of Waste Not,” said Bassel Osmani, co-founder of Pita Jungle. “The whole idea of tackling food insecurity by re-routing culinary excesses is brilliant and dear to us here at Pita Jungle.”
During the all-day event on National Pita Day, the Mediterranean restaurant donated $1 for every pita sandwich sold at participating locations to the non-profit. The nearly $2,000 will contribute to Waste Not’s work to connecting tens of thousands of Arizonans with quality food that would have otherwise gone to waste.
“40% of all food is sent to the landfill, while nearly one million Arizonans suffer from hunger,” said Hillary Bryant, Executive Director of Waste Not. “Working with community partners like Pita Jungle to raise awareness about these issues and the solution Waste Not brings is incredibly powerful and ensures we can help people and the planet flourish.”
Waste Not is working to transform the system by connecting thousands of Arizonans with quality food that would have otherwise gone to waste. The team of professional drivers and food rescue volunteers collect fresh food from local food businesses such as catering companies, resorts, and event venues, and deliver that food same day to non-profits who provide critical community services, such as housing and employment assistance.
Last year, Waste Not rescued nearly 2.4 million pounds of food.
Pita Jungle is located at 7090 N. Oracle Rd., #128. For more information, visit pitajungle.com.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
