Despite the challenges surrounding the pandemic, beloved Mediterranean eatery Greek From Greece (gfg) Café maintained its growth trajectory in 2020 and is on track to double its locations by the end of 2021. The game-changing brand is growing from 10 to at least 14 locations in 2021, confirming its position as the fastest-growing Greek fast casual brand in the country.
“Gfg Café is trailblazing a new era of restaurant concepts,” says Jonathan Schultz, gfg landlord. “The brand makes it easy for owners to operate since it’s hoodless and ventless and brings a high volume of customers because the food is absolutely delicious and unlike any other Greek concept out there.”
As a hoodless, ventless concept, operations are simple to start up and maintain and has the added opportunity of low-cost conversions with its flexible restaurant design. Franchisees can purchase and easily convert an existing restaurant space to lower upfront costs, open the restaurant fast and see a rapid return on their investment.
“The opportunity for low-cost conversions with gfg is beneficial for more than just boosting ROI,” says Dan Rowe, CEO of Fransmart, gfg Cafe’s franchising partner. “Landlords love to work with this type of flexibility and will offer franchisees an excellent deal on a prime location, especially for a fast-growing brand like this one.”
In 2020, gfg Café signed a deal to convert 31 Dairy Barn drive-thru convenience stores into gfg’s first drive-thru models. Expected to open this year, the newly converted locations will serve grocery and to-go items in addition to the brand’s existing dishes. The significant expansion takes the number of gfg locations in development from 10 to 41.
“The pandemic presented unique challenges for the restaurant industry,” says Georgios Drosos, founder and CEO of gfg Café. “But, while other restaurants have scaled back growth, we’ve seen an uptick in interest and are very excited to continue opening restaurants in prime locations across the U.S.”
Gfg Café is currently seeking experienced multi-unit foodservice operators and scouting additional markets across the country and internationally.
