BURRILLVILLE – After much delay, a popular business that sells mediterranean food in Smithfield has opened a new satellite location on Chapel Street in Burrillville.
Fresh Pita held a soft opening on Thursday, May 22 for a shop inside the Village Gas convenience store, bringing to fruition plans in place for more than a year.
Countertops, equipment and signage went into place last spring, but plaza owner Zeshan Abid was initially unable to secure the needed permits for food service from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. Town officials have long discussed a costly plan to extend sewer lines to the area to help spur economic development, and has even secured some grant funding to help with the effort. The RI Infrastructure Bank recently provided a grant for design plans, but construction to bring lines over the Clear River will ultimately take years, and more funding is needed.
Doing business as Countryside, LLC, Abid finally secured a permit at 172 Chapel St. for an onsite wastewater treatment system with a holding tank earlier this year.
First opened on Mineral Spring Avenue in North Providence in 2018 by Yelda and Isa Nuay, Fresh Pita has won fans across the state with homemade falafel, kabobs, salads, burgers and more. The couple sold the first location in 2023, opening up shop at at 777 Putnam Pike in Smithfield.
Yelda has said that after relocating to America from Sweden, the couple felt that healthy and hardy meals were missing from the local cuisine. A menu featuring items such as pita wraps filled with chicken or beef shawarma has now made its debut in Harrisville.
Brewology, a coffee shop originally opened in Smithfield, is also expected to join the location, with staff noting this month that they’ll be coming to Harrisville “very, very soon.”
