On almost any weekday, the lunch crowd at Pita Fusion lines up for a turn to create a meal from more than 100,000 possible combinations of ingredients. The create-your-own pita restaurant offers a variety of vegetables, proteins, cheeses, homemade sauces and extras to stuff into a pita pocket or toss in a salad.

"Most people never get the chance to try fresh pita bread because they are afraid of that kind of food or the flavors associated with it, but we are trying to be something new," said owner Nick Calandro, who handpicked South Austin business Phoenicia Bakery for its pita bread. "We marinate and cook all-natural and hormone-free chicken every day. We make about half of our own sauces right now with the goal to make all of them eventually."

Pita Fusion opened in June 2009 and has grown to serve, on an average weekday, more than a hundred loyal lunch customers, many of whom work at the Dell campus across the street. Calandro said at its peak, the restaurant filled 320 lunch orders in one day.

"I'd say more than half of our lunch crowd is regular customers who come in two or three times a week, or sometimes four or five times a week," Day Manager PJ Gonzales said. "Those are the ones who we can see them pull up, and we pretty much know what they want in their sandwich and what they like."

Building a personable staff is an important way to retain customers, Calandro said.

"I think we have taken care of people on every level. We put out a quality product and we're friendly, so many of them enjoy coming in and interacting," Calandro said. "We know it can be stressful being 20th in line, so we want to make sure that we are quick. But at the same time, I tell the staff that once a person is in front of you, they have 100 percent of your attention."

Pita Fusion's busiest time is during lunch, but the restaurant is open daily until 9 p.m. Calandro said he hopes to eventually expand from his Round Rock location to open a total of five restaurants and a food truck, all using high-quality ingredients not exclusive to Mediterranean or Middle Eastern cuisines.

"For us, it's about putting out a good product that people will obsess over," Calandro said. "Several people have actually told us that we try too hard .... But I feel like no matter what size you are, we should try to be a legitimate restaurant, and that means no food out of the box."

Signature wraps

Pita Fusion serves several customizable wraps and salads. Patrons can also build their own pita from available ingredients and have the option to grill meats, falafel, peppers, onions, mushrooms and other ingredients. Some of the restaurant's signature wraps include:

• Chicken Caesar: Chicken, bacon, romaine lettuce, Caesar dressing and parmesan cheese ($6.59)
• Maui Chicken: Chicken, Black Forest ham, grilled pineapple and melted provolone cheese ($6.79)
• California Club: Smoked turkey, avocado and bacon ($6.79)
• The Italian: Black Forest ham, Genoa salami and pepperoni ($6.25)
• The Sicilian: Grilled chicken, Genoa salami, pepperoni, melted provolone cheese and vegetables ($6.79)
• Gyro: Seasoned beef and lamb, romaine lettuce, tomato, red onion, feta cheese and tzatziki sauce ($6.25)
• The Club: Black Forest ham, smoked turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, pickles, cheddar cheese, mayonnaise and honey mustard ($6.59)
• Falafel: Vegetarian patties of chickpea, sesame seed, spices with romaine lettuce, tomato, red onion, green pepper, cucumber, mushroom, feta cheese, tzatziki, hummus and spicy Holy Falafel sauce ($6.59)

Pita Fusion, 661 Louis Henna Blvd., Round Rock, 388-7482, www.pitafusion.com

Open every day 11 a.m.–9 p.m.