The Great Greek Is About to Pass 100 Restaurants. What Got It There?

By Sean Goldsmith

The Great Greek is approaching 100 restaurants as existing franchisees and experienced international operators invest in further growth.

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill has joined The Franchise Entrepreneur’s Brands directory at a busy point in its growth. With 92 restaurants open, another 30 US locations under agreement and international expansion underway, the brand is building momentum with existing franchisees and experienced restaurant operators.

The strongest part of The Great Greek's recent growth is not simply the number of restaurants it is adding. It is the people choosing to open them.

Existing franchisees are investing in additional locations, multi-unit operators are committing to larger development plans and established international restaurant groups are bringing the concept into new countries. Those are encouraging signs for a restaurant franchise approaching its 100th location.

The Great Greek reported just under $100 million in systemwide sales for 2025, with franchise sales increasing 41% year over year. During the first half of 2026, it signed 20 domestic franchise agreements covering another 30 restaurants and opened eight new US locations. The company expects to pass 100 operating restaurants before the end of the year.

Existing Franchisees Are Growing With the Brand

The company has said that nearly half of its unit growth is being driven by existing franchise owners. For a growing franchise system, that is an important part of the story.

Those operators already understand the staffing, food costs, local marketing and daily demands of running a Great Greek restaurant. When an existing franchisee chooses to commit capital to another location, the decision is being made with direct experience of the business.

The latest development activity also includes four multi-unit agreements, with planned restaurants in markets including Dallas, Nassau County, Naples, Omaha and Sioux Falls. That gives The Great Greek the opportunity to grow with operators who are building larger businesses within the system rather than relying entirely on first-time owners.

Experienced Restaurant Groups Are Joining In

The international expansion adds another encouraging dimension.

The Great Greek has opened restaurants in Australia and Egypt this year while continuing its development in Canada. Its Australian franchise partners have plans for at least 50 locations, giving the brand a substantial development opportunity outside the United States.

In the Caribbean, the Beharry Group has taken master franchise rights covering Guyana and seven additional countries. The group already has experience operating KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants, bringing established knowledge of restaurant operations, property, staffing and franchise systems to The Great Greek.

The first location is planned for Georgetown, Guyana, with further development expected across Antigua, the Bahamas, Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.

For The Great Greek, attracting an experienced restaurant group of this kind is useful validation as it expands internationally. Established operators have choices about where they put their capital and management resources, and Beharry has chosen to add The Great Greek to its portfolio.

The Concept Is Learning to Travel

International restaurant expansion inevitably requires some local adjustment, and The Great Greek is already gaining experience in that process.

Its Cairo restaurant has incorporated Arabic language materials, different beverage choices and longer operating hours to suit local dining habits. The location was opened by an existing Great Greek franchisee who also operates the brand in New Jersey, combining knowledge of the franchise with an understanding that a restaurant in Egypt cannot be run exactly like one in the United States.

That ability to make practical local changes while retaining the core menu and customer experience will become increasingly important as the brand enters more countries. Its early international development is giving The Great Greek an opportunity to build that knowledge before the network becomes considerably larger.

A Stronger Business Is Taking Shape

The Great Greek opened its first restaurant in Henderson, Nevada in 2011. Fifteen years later, it is approaching 100 locations with a growing base of repeat franchisees, multi-unit development agreements and international partners.

There is also a straightforward reason the concept has room to travel. Mediterranean food gives the brand a menu built around familiar ingredients such as grilled meats, vegetables, salads, rice and pita, while offering an alternative to the burger, pizza and fried chicken concepts that dominate much of fast-casual franchising.

Reaching 100 restaurants will therefore be more than another number for The Great Greek. It will mark the point at which a business that began with one Nevada restaurant has developed into an increasingly international franchise with experienced operators choosing to grow alongside it.

What We Can Learn From This

Franchisors looking for sustainable growth should pay particular attention to what existing franchisees do after opening their first location. When those operators reinvest, and experienced multi-unit groups are also prepared to join the system, a brand has a stronger foundation for expansion. The Great Greek should continue building around those operators while using its early international locations to improve the support required in new markets. If that approach continues, its 100th restaurant is likely to be remembered as a marker on the way to a considerably larger network rather than the destination.

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