Great Greek Franchising,

The question every serious franchise investor faces when evaluating the fast-casual restaurant space is whether a brand's growth numbers reflect genuine consumer demand or merely franchise fee collection dressed up as expansion. The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill answers that question with a data trail that is difficult to dismiss. Originally founded in 2011 in Henderson, Nevada, by a culinary-trained father and son duo with roots in authentic Greek and Mediterranean cooking, the brand was acquired in January 2016 by Nick Della Penna and Trent Jones, two experienced restaurateurs who brought operational discipline to a concept that already had strong food fundamentals. Della Penna, who carries over 35 years of experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry, and Jones, who brings a background in real estate and small business ownership, implemented systematic operational changes that generated an 18% increase in gross revenue within their first year of ownership. That momentum led to the opening of a second location in the southwest Las Vegas market in June 2017, which became the franchise flagship. Great Greek Franchising, LLC was formally incorporated on December 4, 2017, as a Florida limited liability company, and the brand began franchising in 2018 under the umbrella of United Franchise Group, the global franchisor parent headquartered at 2121 Vista Parkway, West Palm Beach, Florida 33411. UFG's CEO Ray Titus oversees the parent portfolio, while Bob Andersen serves as President of The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill specifically. The brand is further organized under UFG's food division, Big Flavor Brands. From a unit-count perspective, the brand ended 2022 with 23 locations across 10 states, scaled to 51 restaurants by the close of 2023, reached approximately 64 U.S. locations by 2024 with its first international location in Toronto, Canada, and is actively targeting more than 100 operational units by the end of 2025, backed by a development pipeline of 270 committed units. For investors evaluating the fast-casual Mediterranean segment, this is not a speculative brand in its early formation stage. It is a franchise system in the middle of a verified, measurable scaling event with institutional backing, a disclosed financial performance record, and a consumer product that sits precisely at the intersection of health, convenience, and elevated dining experience.

The fast-casual Mediterranean dining category is generating exceptional momentum driven by a convergence of consumer health trends, demographic shifts, and changing attitudes about what convenient food should look like. The Mediterranean diet has achieved mainstream cultural acceptance in the United States, moving from a niche nutritional framework promoted by clinicians into a broadly recognized lifestyle choice embraced across income brackets and age groups. This cultural shift is directly driving foot traffic to Mediterranean fast-casual concepts, as consumers increasingly seek meals that are simultaneously flavorful, portable, and nutritious rather than forcing a tradeoff between those qualities. The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill's positioning as a culinary-driven experience, where meals are served on real plateware with actual utensils in a staged format more reminiscent of a full-service restaurant, creates a differentiated value proposition in a segment that often trends toward counter-service commoditization. Catering revenue has become a particularly powerful secondary channel for the brand, with catering sales up 43% in the year preceding 2024 and on pace to double during 2024 itself, which signals that consumers are turning to the brand not just for individual meals but for group dining occasions, office catering, and event food service. Off-premises revenue through third-party delivery partners has also grown materially, with the brand reporting that 60 to 70 percent of its store locations were seeing year-over-year traffic increases as of September 2024, an impressive figure given that the broader restaurant industry was simultaneously navigating consumer spending headwinds. The competitive landscape in fast-casual Mediterranean is expanding, with independent operators and emerging franchise systems all competing for the same health-conscious consumer, but The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill has built scale advantages through its UFG affiliation, national marketing infrastructure, and a systemwide sales figure that reached $73 million in 2024, representing a 46% year-over-year surge. These dynamics create a compelling structural argument for investing in this category at this moment, particularly through a brand with proven consumer traction and institutional franchise support.

The financial architecture of a Great Greek Franchising franchise investment reflects a mid-to-premium tier fast-casual commitment, with an initial franchise fee of $39,500, though some FDD versions reference a range of $35,550 to $39,500 depending on the agreement structure. Total investment ranges provided in the 2025 FDD run from approximately $582,000 to $1,089,000, with the spread driven primarily by leasehold improvement variability, which alone can range from $250,000 to $650,000 depending on the condition of the leased space, local construction labor costs, and market geography. The restaurant equipment and build-out package is itemized in the FDD between $225,964 and $248,560, providing relatively predictable cost clarity for that line item. Opening inventory is budgeted at $7,000 to $15,000, insurance at $2,000 to $6,000, and the brand requires franchisees to carry an additional funds reserve for the first zero to six months of operations in the range of $35,000 to $75,000, acknowledging that early-stage unit-level cash flow requires working capital buffer. Travel and living expenses for the required two-level training program add another $10,000 to $20,000. Liquid capital requirements are approximately $300,000, and prospective franchisees must meet the company's stated capital requirements before approval. The ongoing royalty rate is 6% of gross sales, which is consistent with the fast-casual franchise category standard. Marketing fund contributions run at 2% of gross sales, directing capital toward national and regional brand-building efforts. The franchise agreement carries an initial term of 35 years with one optional renewal term of an additional 35 years, which is a notably long agreement horizon that provides franchisees with extended brand equity participation potential. The franchisor does not offer direct financing or guarantee any franchisee obligations, so investors should expect to engage SBA lending programs, conventional commercial loans, or private capital sources independently. Active duty military veterans or their spouses with one to ten years of service qualify for a 10% discount on the franchise fee, bringing the initial fee down to approximately $35,550 for eligible candidates. One structural requirement that distinguishes this opportunity from single-unit franchise models is the minimum purchase commitment of three units, which means prospective franchisees must enter the system with a multi-unit development plan, requiring both sufficient capital depth and an organizational mindset oriented toward building a small portfolio rather than a single restaurant operation.

The operating model of a Great Greek Franchising restaurant centers on a full-service quality experience delivered at fast-casual throughput speeds, which creates both consumer differentiation and operational complexity relative to simpler counter-service formats. Franchisees are responsible for managing a full kitchen operation that produces authentic Mediterranean dishes, including freshly prepared, made-to-order items, which means food quality control, recipe adherence, and ingredient sourcing discipline are core daily management responsibilities. The training system is structured into two formal levels: Level 1 is conducted at the franchisor's headquarters in West Palm Beach, Florida and at a Certified Training Restaurant, covering operational basics through instructional materials, lectures, and hands-on kitchen practice, with the franchisor covering one round-trip airfare, hotel accommodations, and one daily meal for a single trainee. Level 2 training builds on operational foundations and is also completed in the West Palm Beach market, with franchisee testimonials specifically praising the training team's commitment and depth of preparation. The curriculum covers every major operational discipline, including recipes, food preparation standards, point-of-sale system operation, labor scheduling, inventory ordering, and local marketing execution, which means franchisees without prior food-service experience have a defined learning pathway into the business. Ongoing support includes pre-opening assistance, construction management guidance, brand marketing resources, research and development access, and field consultant engagement after the restaurant opens. The corporate leadership team is consistently described by franchisees as accessible and responsive, a support quality signal that matters significantly in fast-casual restaurant operations where real-time problem-solving and vendor relationship management require franchisor connectivity. The brand's multi-unit mandate, requiring a minimum commitment of three locations, means franchisees are expected to build scalable management systems, delegate to unit-level managers, and operate with organizational infrastructure rather than owner-operator single-location dependence. Territory structures and exclusivity provisions support multi-unit development, with master license opportunities available in international markets, evidenced by the Ontario Master Licensee agreement that brought the first Canadian location to Toronto and additional master licenses signed for Western Canada and Egypt.

Item 19 financial performance data is not disclosed in the current Franchise Disclosure Document for Great Greek Franchising as reflected in the database record for this profile. However, the brand has made substantial financial performance information publicly available through press releases, industry publications, and FDD versions that have been referenced in trade media, allowing for meaningful analysis of unit-level performance trajectories. Based on data attributed to the 2023 FDD, average annual revenue per unit was approximately $835,622. The 2025 FDD, as reported in trade publications, indicates an average revenue per unit of $1,377,000, with one source citing average gross revenue of $1,483,031 against a sub-sector benchmark average of $678,785, suggesting that Great Greek Franchising units are generating revenue at more than double the Mediterranean fast-casual segment average. For context, average revenue during 2019 was $588,692, which means the system's per-unit revenue performance has grown by approximately 134% from 2019 to the high end of 2025 FDD figures, a trajectory that reflects both brand maturation and the operational improvements implemented under UFG's franchise infrastructure. Systemwide, the brand generated $73 million in total sales in 2024, a 46% year-over-year increase, spread across approximately 64 U.S. locations as reported by Restaurant Business and Technomic, implying an implied average of roughly $1.14 million per location at the systemwide level. Same-store sales growth was reported at approximately 6 to 6.5% in the year prior to September 2024 with a slightly higher rate in the first three quarters of 2024, outperforming broader restaurant industry same-store sales trends during the same period. Prospective investors should note that while these figures represent publicly reported and FDD-cited data, unit-level profitability after royalties, marketing contributions, labor, food cost, occupancy, and debt service will vary substantially based on location-specific factors, and detailed pro forma modeling using current FDD data and Item 19 disclosures obtained directly from the franchisor remains essential due diligence.

Great Greek Franchising has demonstrated one of the most consistent net-new-unit growth trajectories in the fast-casual segment over the past three years, adding 9 locations in 2022 to close at 23 units, scaling to 51 restaurants by the end of 2023 through 23 net new openings, and adding 19 new restaurants in 2024 including its first international unit in Toronto. This trajectory represents more than a doubling of the brand's total footprint in approximately two years, earning recognition on Franchise Times' Fast and Serious list of the 40 smartest-growing franchise brands at rank number 15, Restaurant Business magazine's 2025 Future 50 list at rank number 21, and recognition as a Top Mover and Shaker by Fast Casual for two consecutive years. The South Florida Business Journal also recognized the brand as one of the fastest-growing companies of 2024, measuring three-year revenue growth. The 2025 growth plan calls for 40 new restaurant openings domestically and internationally, with first-ever locations planned in Louisiana, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, alongside deepened market penetration in Florida, California, and Texas. International expansion has accelerated meaningfully, with master licenses executed for Western Canada and Egypt in addition to the active Ontario market, positioning the brand for a sustained non-U.S. unit contribution to system revenue. The development pipeline of 270 committed units provides multi-year visibility into future royalty-generating locations, which is a meaningful indicator of both franchisee confidence and the brand's sales infrastructure capacity. Competitive advantages supporting this trajectory include UFG's global franchising expertise and operational infrastructure, an authentic food product with strong consumer loyalty metrics evidenced by year-over-year traffic increases at 60 to 70 percent of locations, a catering revenue channel that grew 43% and was tracking toward a doubling in 2024, and a dining format that occupies a defensible position between commodity fast food and full-service restaurant pricing. The brand's recognition by Franchise Direct as a Top 100 Franchise of 2025 further validates its position in the broader franchise investment landscape.

The ideal candidate for a Great Greek Franchising franchise opportunity is not defined by prior restaurant industry experience but rather by leadership capacity, financial strength, and operational execution discipline. Many of the brand's most successful franchisees come from industries including finance, real estate, technology, healthcare, and military service, sharing a common profile of people who can read a profit and loss statement, make data-driven management decisions, and build organizational systems around a proven operating model. The three-unit minimum purchase requirement means investors must approach this opportunity as a small business portfolio builder rather than a single-unit owner-operator, which implies a minimum committed capital deployment of approximately $1.7 million to $3.3 million across three locations at the lower and upper ends of the per-unit investment range before working capital reserves are included. Available territories are expanding aggressively in 2025, with priority markets including Florida, California, Texas, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Wisconsin domestically, and with international master license opportunities still open in markets across Western Canada and Egypt. The franchise agreement term is 35 years with one optional 35-year renewal, creating a long-duration brand partnership that rewards franchisees who build strong local market positions over time. Military veterans and their spouses receive a 10% franchise fee reduction as a direct financial incentive for service members transitioning to entrepreneurship. The timeline from franchise agreement signing to restaurant opening will vary based on real estate availability, permitting timelines, and construction duration, with the training sequence beginning prior to opening and the Level 1 and Level 2 programs providing structured preparation across a period that covers both theoretical and hands-on operational readiness.

For investors conducting serious due diligence on the fast-casual Mediterranean segment, Great Greek Franchising presents a compelling case that merits rigorous independent analysis. The brand's combination of UFG institutional backing, a development pipeline of 270 committed units, $73 million in 2024 systemwide sales representing a 46% year-over-year increase, an average revenue per unit that reportedly exceeds $1.3 million against a sub-sector benchmark of $678,785, and a 35-year franchise agreement term creates an investment thesis with genuine substance across multiple evaluation dimensions. The three-unit minimum commitment and approximately $300,000 liquid capital requirement establish a meaningful qualification floor, ensuring that the franchisee community entering the system has the financial depth to execute multi-unit development plans rather than struggling with undercapitalized single-location operations. The brand's recognition on seven separate industry rankings and awards lists in 2024 and 2025 alone reflects external validation of its growth quality and operational execution standards. PeerSense provides exclusive due diligence data including SBA lending history, FPI score, location maps with Google ratings, FDD financial data, and side-by-side comparison tools that allow investors to benchmark Great Greek Franchising against competitive fast-casual Mediterranean and broader restaurant franchise alternatives with quantitative rigor. The combination of verified unit growth, disclosed revenue performance data, institutional franchisor support through United Franchise Group, and a consumer trend tailwind behind Mediterranean dining creates a franchise opportunity that rewards thorough investigation. Explore the complete Great Greek Franchising franchise profile on PeerSense to access the full suite of independent franchise intelligence data.