The Great Greek Sees Growth in Unit Count and Sales During First Half of 2024

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, a leading Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant, is reporting notable unit growth and sales increases for the first half of 2024. The brand opened seven new restaurants throughout Q1 and Q2 in Vestavia Hills, Ala.; San Diego and Danville, Calif.; Roswell, Ga.; Pleasant Grove, Utah; and Tampa and Maitland, Fla. while signing numerous franchise agreements to develop several new restaurants in the coming years. The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill opened multiple new locations in 2023 and 2024, leading to a 61% increase in systemwide sales over Q1-Q2 2023.

“Our growth in the first half of 2024 is a testament to the strength of our brand and our development strategy and positions us for even greater momentum in this second half of the year,” said Bob Andersen, President of The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill. “Our continued success is a direct reflection of our dedicated and passionate franchise owners who take our brand to new heights each day. We’re excited for the trajectory we’re on and look forward to breaking more records the remainder of this year and into 2025.”

Today, The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill has 54 locations open in 17 U.S. states and recently launched operations abroad with the opening of its first international restaurant in Toronto through Ontario Master Licensee Radius Apollo Investments, LLC. The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill’s expansion into Canada reflects the growing popularity of the Mediterranean category and strong consumer demand for quality food and service as well as kicks off an international growth strategy that will extend the brand’s global footprint into new countries. Looking ahead in 2024, The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill is projected to open 25 additional locations by year-end, including its first in states like New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. With 270 units in its development pipeline, The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill is sustaining its growth momentum and shows no signs of slowing down, being on track to reach over 100 locations in 2025.

In addition to its franchise development success, the brand is being recognized as one of the fastest-growing companies of 2024 by the South Florida Business Journal, ranked by revenue growth over a three-year period.

“The Great Greek offers a completely different experience than its category counterparts in that it provides a level of quality, service, and value unmatched anywhere else. Because of this, the brand occupies a unique and defensible niche in the Mediterranean fast-casual segment and is consistently met with high customer satisfaction and loyalty,” said Ray Titus, CEO of United Franchise Group (UFG), of which The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill is an affiliated brand. “We just wrapped up our World Expo in Nashville where it was thrilling to meet with franchise owners to celebrate the brand’s compounding success and plan for its future.”

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill recently recognized individual franchise owners and restaurant multi-unit outstanding performance at UFG’s 2024 World Expo, including:

  • MVP Award: Scott Willis (Charleston, SC); Yara & Mike Fardous (Detroit, MI)
  • President’s Award: Dany Askar (Santa Ana, CA)
  • Circle of Excellence Inductees: Charleston, SC; Shelby Township, MI; Troy MI; Winter Garden, FL; Westminster, CO; Maple Grove, MN; Lake Nona, FL; Charleston, SC; The Colony, TX; Aurora, CO; Crown Point, IN
  • Team Player: Scott Willis (Mount Pleasant, SC); Kevin Carmean (Orlando, FL)
  • Community Service Award: Manish & Manisha Sharma (San Diego, CA)
  • Local Store Marketing: Yara & Mike Fardous (Detroit, MI)
  • Millionaire Club Inductees: West Bloomfield, MI; Palm Beach Gardens, FL; Orlando, FL; Florham Park, NJ; St. Johns, FL; The Colony, TX; Crown Point, IN; Aurora, CO; Charleston, SC; Lake Nona, FL; Maple Grove, MN; Westminster, CO; Winter Garden, FL; Troy, MI; Shelby Township, MI; Mount Pleasant, SC

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill® is a part of the Big Flavor Brands foodservice division of United Franchise Group (UFG), the global leader for entrepreneurs with over 1600 franchises in more than 60 countries and 2500+ franchisees.

This article was originally published by QSR Magazine.