Fans of authentic Greek cuisine in Southern California will have a new go-to destination as Apóla Greek Grill today announced the opening of its first franchise location in Riverside.
The burgeoning fast-casual brand has gained a loyal following for serving the ‘Most Authentic Greek Gyro you can get without buying a plane ticket!’ Instead of booking a flight to Athens, SoCal locals are getting a third option within driving distance to get their Greek street food fix when Apóla opens in Riverside this fall.
“This is the first of many huge steps that Apóla Greek Grill will take as we expand and share the delicious recipes that have been passed down through our family over generations,” says Founder Yianni Kosmides. “We’re thrilled to open our first franchise location and look forward to adding more as we continue our launch toward aggressive growth in the future.”
Taking the reins of the first Apóla franchise will be Majid Zahedi, a SoCal restaurateur for more than 30 years. Zahedi is the former owner of a national multi-unit franchise with locations throughout San Diego County, a French culinary start-up in Orange County and a raw juice bar in Los Angeles County.
“I love this concept because the recipes and flavors are so familiar to my culture and being able to serve food with fresh ingredients stands out from most other franchise opportunities,” Zahedi says. “Apóla is known for the family vibe it shares with its guests and I’m excited to offer that same feeling and quality Greek fare to the residents and visitors of Riverside!”
Apóla’s fans flock in for the Authentic Greek Gyro – with pork, Roma tomatoes, red onions, tzatziki and a handful of French fries wrapped in a warm pita. But if pork or meat isn’t your thing, the restaurant will customize to make the gyro a little less authentic but still very Greek with chicken, beef and lamb or its own meatless option!
Kosmides points out that Apóla offers something for everyone with a variety of Greek cuisine. Guests can try different proteins like chicken, beef and lamb – all halal certified – as well as grilled shrimp skewers, grilled chicken souvlaki and their own meatless gyro that can be combined with a variety of spreads – from the original Tzatziki to Skorthalia Garlic Spread to its unique Spicy Hummus. Traditional staples like dolmas, falafel, avgolemono soup and Greek salad are also on the menu.
Apóla Greek Grill has been featured locally in The Los Angeles Herald and California Telegraph, and on the lifestyle TV show “This is LA.”