Staying Safe

Pita Jungle takes extra precautions to keep its staff and guests healthy

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

Pita Jungle is taking its sta ’s health seriously.

Restaurant co-founder Bassel Osmani and his partners hired Company Nurse, a triage and reporting service for workplace injuries, to further protect their employees, customers and vendors from COVID-19 exposures. Company Nurse uses a COVID-19 digital screening solution and triage guidance service.

Osmani says employees are screened before entering the workplace. Employees have a unique link and QR code to access the service via website or mobile phone.

Screened, healthy employees will receive a digital “green light” to share with their supervisors upon entering their workplace. If employees indicate COVID-19-related symptoms or exposures that may need to be addressed, they will schedule a call with one of Company Nurse’s triage nurses for additional guidance.  is is an optional, additional service.

Employers’ program coordinators have access to a secure admin portal to monitor and manage users’ screening statuses.

“At Company Nurse, we want to help employers protect their workplaces and their organizations from COVID-19 exposures,” says Paul Binsfeld, president and founder of Company Nurse. “We’re proud to help participating Pita Jungles maintain healthy work environments and show their employees that Pita Jungle cares about their well-being.”

Osmani calls Company Nurse a great program that allows Pita Jungle to introduce an extra layer of protection.

“ e Company Nurse program is helping us vet someone who’s symptomatic and putting them on the right track—where to go have a test if you run to the ER because you can’t breathe,” Osmani says.

“It’s really helpful. It beefs up morale.”

Next, he’s hoping to secure testing for the employees’ families.

“I got the idea from the charter school my

Pita Jungle's menu is infl uenced by tastes from around the globe with the benefi ts of the Mediterranean diet always apparent through the use of healthy lean proteins, veggies, legumes, nuts, grains and fruit. (Submitted photo)

kids go to,” Osmani says. “It makes it easier to catch something in the beginning of it if we can get test results quickly— less than 72 hours—and take action on it. Four weeks ago, if someone wanted to get tested, they wouldn’t have the results until eight days a er the fact. Obviously, for those eight days, they’re not coming to work.”

In addition to using Company Nurse, Pita Jungle has implemented safety practices closely following the recommendations issued by the CDC and state authorities.  ese include enhanced sanitation procedures; face masks; social distancing; curbside pickup with tamper-evident bags; and strict food safety guidelines at all Arizona locations, including the one in Norterra.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Pita Jungle serves a variety of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. Pita Jungle’s menu is in-  uenced by tastes from around the globe with the bene ts of the Mediterranean diet always apparent through the use of healthy lean proteins, veggies, legumes, nuts, grains and fruit.

“Pita Jungle is having to adapt to this new reality,” Osmani says.

“We hoped it would have waned by now, but we’re still in the midst of it. We’re still hoping for vaccines, but in the interim, it is the new reality and people are adapting to it and modifying consumption methods.”

Pita Jungle was fortunate in that it linked with third-party delivery services before the pandemic hit.

“We turned it up when this happened,” he

Pita Jungle The Shops at Norterra

2530 W. Happy Valley Road, Suite 1261, Phoenix 623-587-5572, pitajungle.com

says. “We already had the footprint and our customers, who obviously kept their habits.  ose who didn’t, switched to it. We’ve held our ground. It hasn’t been a stellar year, but it’s a year of survival. We count our blessings that we have the foundation to do deliveries. Now we’re working on enhancing it, putting our product in front of our customers, instead of them coming to us. We’re thinking food trucks and such things.”

To help families stay healthy during the pandemic, Pita Jungle started o ering family meals for takeout and curbside pickup.  e $35 meals include Pita Jungle’s signature hummus or caramelized cauli ower; a family-style service of healthful ingredients to wrap pitas or build bowls; a choice between signature salads and sides; and a sampling of Pita Jungle’s walnut baklawa.

Pita Jungle is also o ering a shortened version of its regular menu for to-go orders and selling wine ($15 select bottles) and beer by the bottle with any meal purchase at select locations.

“We also rolled out a  atbread pizza menu and a happy hour platter,” Osmani says. “Four times a year we roll out a new menu with naturally sourced items that are as organic as possible. Last season it was paleo cuisine and keto. We’re looking next at immune-boosting foods to  gure  us and viruses.”