Greek from Greece (GFG) Bakery-Café and Fournos Theofilos, two culinary destinations raising the bar of Greek cuisine in America, announced their merger under the GFG Bakery-Café brand. This month, the authentic, family-owned GFG Bakery-Café plans to rebrand Fournos Theofilos’ existing two locations in Manhattan to GFG Bakery-Cafés, bringing its total number of Manhattan locations from two to four.
GFG Bakery-Café serves up authentic, freshly-baked sweet and savory pastries, light and traditional Greek fare and café beverages sourced directly from Greece. Fournos Theofilos specializes in serving freshly prepared Greek delicacies. The acquisition of Fournos Theofilos will enable GFG Bakery-Café to shine a light on Greece’s unique gastronomy and culture.
“This is an important move for our company,” says Georgios Drosos, founder and CEO of GFG Bakery-Café. “Combining our know-how with Fournos Theofilos’ investment and operational team enables us to expand more rapidly in the Manhattan area, and establishes our place as the leading concept in fast casual Greek bakeries and cafés. With guidance and assistance from the GMM Real Value Investment Fund, Fournos Theofilos has gained significant awareness and success since their first store opened in Midtown Manhattan back in October 2018. We are confident that rebranding their locations to GFG Bakery-Cafés will enable us to create a unique Greek culinary experience for our customers and help lead the Pan-American expansion of the concept.”
Georgios Drosos, an entrepreneur and award-winning franchisee himself, opened the first GFG Bakery-Café in 2017 to long lines and delighted customers. Five other locations soon followed throughout Manhattan and New Jersey, and a new location in Tampa, Florida, opened in December 2019.
“Rebranding Fournos Theofilos is the right move at the right time for both concepts,” adds Scott Goodrich, COO and partner at King Street Consultants. “I really love the GFG brand, and it’s built for rapid growth. George Drosos is an experienced operator and business owner with extensive multi-unit franchise experience, and as a franchisor he knows that unit-level profitability is paramount. He built the brand with imperative efficiencies – simple food production, a highly efficient labor model, flexible footprint, great food costs, and value-engineered construction costs. The food is also delicious and differentiated. Nearly all the offerings come directly from Greece, and the coffee is incredible!”
GFG Bakery-Café is currently seeking experienced multi-unit foodservice operators and scouting potential markets across the country. Those interested in joining GFG Bakery-Café as franchisees will get support from start to finish, from site selection expertise and sample floor plans to custom training systems and localized brand building.
“GFG Bakery-Café has a fast casual model that is ahead of the pack in today’s disruptive and challenging business environment,” adds Goodrich. “It’s flexible, innovative, and tech driven. The team consists of C-level experts in operations, training, information technology and supply chain management, with a continuing commitment to building a world class team.”