22-year-old takes over Oakville, Ontario Pita Pit location

It is through her strong work ethic and determination that Hailey Nault, 22, has been able to become a business owner at such a young age. Nault is now able to reap the rewards of her diligence and became the new owner of an existing 2-year-old Pita Pit on September 1. [caption id="attachment_18357" align="alignright" width="192" caption="Hailey Nault"][/caption] Nault grew up in the small town of Binbrook and was instilled at an early age the value of hard work. At the age of 15, Nault began to juggle three jobs while completing her high school education—she arranged her class schedule to make it in time for her full-time job at a real estate office; she was a waitress on weekends, and she began bar tending later on. “I have been riding horses since I was 15, and my parents told me if I wanted to own my own horse then I would have to buy it myself. I started saving since that moment and developed the strong work ethic I have today,” she said. Despite being accepted into Brock University, Nault decided instead to take up the opportunity with TD Bank after being recruited by the company. However, after a few years, Nault realized that her true passion was in the food industry, so she began looking at various business opportunities to invest her savings in. How did you learn about Pita Pit and why did you choose an opportunity with the brand? I went to a franchise show in Toronto, where I learned about Pita Pit and met Rob Anderson, who was a single unit Pita Pit franchisee at the time. After researching the company a bit more and falling in love with the brand, I contacted Rob through Facebook to ask if he would meet to talk more about the company. I liked the Pita Pit concept and it was a relatively young brand at the time, which presented the opportunity to grow and also a lower franchisee fee. However, in order for me to become a franchisee I would have had to take a loan out, which was impossible at the age of 20. So how were you able to join the Pita Pit team as a franchisee? Rob offered to pay for half the fee if I went to work for him as an operator for a year to get a foot in the door with Pita Pit and prove that I could handle the task. Rob has been involved in the opening of seven Pita Pit franchises in the same way—he owns one by himself but the rest are all partnerships where he has offered to lend a hand. The other Pita Pit in Oakville is owned by Dave, who has also partnered with Rob. Rob is the hardest working person I know and has been one of the most influential people in my life. He believes in people and gives us a chance when considered too young or when low on funds. He recently set up Breakfast Club Investments with three partners, and this will be the first Pita Pit store they will be operating under the investment group. They’re looking to open eight Pita Pits within the next four years. What are your future development plans? Between Dave (Oakville franchisee) and me, we would like to open every store in Oakville. The city can hold up to six stores.