After 30 strenuous yet fulfilling years of being at the helm of a thriving company, Gail Kitsis and her husband decided to sell their St. Louis restaurant chain, Crazy Bowls & Wraps.

“I felt it came a little early and so did my husband, but we couldn’t really turn down the offer,” Kitsis said.

The idea for Crazy Bowls & Wraps stemmed from the lack of healthy fast-food eateries in the St. Louis area. From there, concepts for the company began to form, taking inspiration from existing designs already present on the west coast of the United States. 

Keith Kitsis, Gail’s husband and the person she started Crazy Bowls & Wraps with, knew that starting a business with a spouse was going to be challenging. However, with Gail’s determination they became increasingly confident that they would achieve success.

“Gail’s intelligence [and] commitment to the idea of the restaurants was invaluable,” Keith said. 

Gail and Keith were able to come into contact with someone who would be willing to teach them different recipes to get them started. Incorporating grilled chicken and vegetables, the couple started curating the nutritious restaurant they had desired from the beginning.

The first Crazy Bowls & Wraps that Gail and her husband opened is located in Creve Coeur and is still operating today.

“You have to put everything on the line [for the business]. You have to put your heart and soul into it, you can’t walk away,” Gail said.

Placing ads in newspapers and putting signs up in the stores was stressful and tiring. Chaos and conflict were common. Months of time and effort went into trying to get Crazy Bowls & Wraps up and running. 

But as word spread throughout the community, the restaurant flourished.

“You have to really be part of the community because that’s where your staff comes from, that’s where your customers come from,” Gail said.

As the company started hiring at the local level, the organization at the corporate level got easier.

“Either you get organized or you can’t survive,” Gail said.

As the years went on, the business around them started changing. Her kids had little interest in taking over, deciding to pave their own paths rather than obtain the family company. So, when Miami-based private equity company, Prival, offered to purchase, the couple couldn’t let the opportunity pass them by.

The selling process was rigorous. For six laborious months, Gail had to grind numbers and provide extensive financial information to finalize the transaction.

“It’s very intense because they’re buying a business. They want to know your numbers are real,” Gail said. 

Even though her children, Sydney and Max Kitsis, didn’t want to take over the business, seeing their mother establish herself in the corporate world inspired them to do the same in their careers. 

Her daughter, Sydney, is part of the digital team at Sephora, contributing to online campaigns for their website. Her son, Max, works for an investment banking firm, overseeing transactions for restaurants and retail. 

“It’s difficult as a woman to juggle raising kids and running a business, but ultimately it allowed my brother and me to become independent and see firsthand just how much work it takes to be successful,” Sydney said.

But before becoming an entrepreneur, Gail Kitsis was a teacher.

Gail taught geography to ninth grade students at Crestview Junior High School, now Crestview Middle School. 

“I loved teaching the World Religion unit [at Crestview] as it was a chance to show how alike we all really are as humans,” Gail said.

Having just sold the company but still not quite ready to retire, she found her way back to the teaching world through Lafayette’s open study hall position.

“I knew that no one was going to hire me because I hadn’t taught in 30 years, so I decided to take the study hall position to see if I like it and want to get back into it,” Gail said.

While the study hall class at Lafayette has no structure or set lesson plans, Gail still finds joy in interacting with her students and being able to help them in any way she can.

“I’ve been helping a lot of kids do their online government classes which I really enjoy,” Gail said.

Gail reaped the benefits of running Crazy Bowls & Wraps and now it was time for her to return to her roots.

“I thought I would always go back to teaching,” Gail said. “It gives me a purpose.”