EPHRATA - Pam Leseman said she feels like a celebrity. The long-time Ephrata resident recently won the Rookie of the Year Award for her new Pita Pit franchise store. She said she fielded telephone calls on Monday morning from media outlets across the country.

She has spent nearly a lifetime in the restaurant and catering industry and said her decision earlier this year to jump from management to ownership was the right call at the right time.

Leseman formerly managed the Ephrata Subway. When their corporate office laid her off and much of her staff in April 2013, she decided to open her own store in her town.

"I guess I decided on Pita Pit after three people came up to me in the same day and said, you know you should open a Pita Pit here,'" she said.

Pita Pit executives were leery of opening a store in such a small market and so far from the college campuses the stores are usually near. They went along with the idea partially because Leseman was so familiar with the industry and more importantly the people of Ephrata.

"She is like the mayor of Ephrata," said Bill Wilfong, Pita Pit's vice president of Franchise Development. "She is involved in everything from the schools, to the chamber to the churches and she really knows her community. That is exactly the type of franchisee that we want."

Her knowledge of and generosity toward Ephrata, is a big reason for her success, she said.

She gives away many coupons for free pitas to area schools that reward students for academic and athletic success. She also gave away coupons for local non-profits to raffle to raise money. She said she thinks it is important to support the area's schools and said she rarely turns down requests to help.

Big store in a small market

When Leseman opened her Ephrata store in February, it was unique in two ways. Not only did she open in the smallest market in Pita Pit's nearly 20-year history, but she rolled the dice and opened it in the largest store in franchise history.

She said the former Rock Park Café building in downtown Ephrata was a great location because it was historic and sat empty for such a long time.

"So I said to myself I had to have this building for Pita Pit," she said.

Immediately her sales numbers were great, and continued to be high, she said.

She was pleased at the high numbers, but not surprised.

Leseman said the product sells its self and by hiring young employees who formerly worked with her at Subway, she knows their work ethic and can count on them to show up and do a good job.

"Plus they are the best advertisers," she said. "When they are not working they are out there talking about our product and word of mouth is the best type of advertising."

The store's success has led Leseman to plan to open a second Pita Pit and she wants to open a Moses Lake store next year. She said she would open the store in the former Gary Mann Real Estate building on Broadway Avenue.

She said her Rookie of the Year award is wonderful and she hopes to win the Franchisee of the Year next year.