The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill Propels Franchise Development with New Openings and Agreements

WEST PALM BEACH, FL, August 22, 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 Great Greek Mediterranean Grill was recently named a Top 100 Mover & Shaker by Fast Casual for the second year in a row, ranking #13 among the top 75 brands – jumping a remarkable 32 spots from 2023. The brand is also 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.

About The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill
The award winning Great Greek Mediterranean Grill® is a leading franchise within the Greek, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern fast-casual restaurant industry, offering a vivacious and flavorful menu inspired by foods in the Mediterranean diet. Every dish is made fresh, in-house from authentic recipes passed down generation after generation. Co-founded by two culinary trained, third-generation restauranteurs, Nick A. Della Penna and Trent Jones, The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill is an affiliated brand of United Franchise Group™, the global leader for entrepreneurs, within the United Franchise Group's food division, Big Flavor Brands™. For more information about The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill locations, menu and catering visit www.thegreatgreekgrill.com and for franchise information, visit www.thegreatgreekfranchise.com.

About Big Flavor Brands
Big Flavor Brands™ specializes in franchises dedicated to creative eating, offering a zesty menu of fast-growing, award-winning food brands with a proven track record of success. From fast-casual restaurants with authentic third-generation recipes like The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill®, to specialty concepts like the grazing innovator and charcuterie board caterer Graze Craze®, and the super-fast, fresh Italian experience of Cannoli Kitchen Pizza®, Big Flavor Brands dominate their niches with quality, value, and tasty fare for every occasion. Big Flavor Brands represents the food division of United Franchise Group™ which is comprised of innovative concepts pushing the boundaries with an unwavering commitment to quality, variety, and the pursuit of joyful eating.