Atilla Kan, a D.C.-area restaurateur who dished out Mediterranean flavors for nearly 50 years, died June 13. He was 82.
A native of Turkey, Kan was noted locally as founder of The Perfect Pita, which he and his family established in 1994. What started as a single takeout spot led to 14 different locations in the region, as well as a wholesale business offering pita, hummus and other Mediterranean foods.
The local restaurant chain had several Arlington locations over the years, including in Rosslyn and the Crystal City underground, all of which have since closed. The Perfect Pita products are available in area grocery stores such as Harris Teeter, Safeway, Food Lion and Whole Foods, allowing Kan’s legacy to live on locally.
Kan and his wife, Carol, first dove into the restaurant business in 1975, purchasing the Arlington business that later became Atilla’s. Located at 2705 Columbia Pike, the eatery became known locally as the “House of the Gyro” as Kan sold Turkish food with a Greek influence.
Kan operated Atilla’s until the 1990s, when he sold the restaurant to a local businessman. The namesake remained in the kitchen despite the change in ownership, making bread, hummus and other items for most of the following 20 years.
“He came to this country and created his own legacy as a business owner,” his obituary said. “He opened 24 carry-out restaurants in his lifetime and started a wholesale business to local grocery stores to carry his products.”
Kan first came to the U.S. in the late 1960s and “worked at the Turkish embassy during the day and waited tables at Hot Shoppes at night,” before launching his business career, according to The Perfect Pita website. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and four grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, people are encouraged to buy “only Perfect Pita Hummus at your local grocery store.”
Visitation will be held on Sunday, July 7 from 12-2 p.m. at Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home. The eulogy will be read at 1 p.m.
Photo via The Perfect Pita
