Secure Exclusive Rights to Develop The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill Across MENA
The Great Greek's corporate systems and international communications operate in English, which is widely used in MENA business environments. The Master Licensee's leadership team should include strong English proficiency. Local-language operations with customers and franchisees are naturally expected.
About The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill
The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill is a fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant franchise with 80+ locations worldwide. Founded by 3rd-generation restaurateurs, the brand brings Mediterranean culinary authenticity to accessible casual-dining format.The brand is part of Big Flavor Brands and UFG (1,600+ franchise locations in 60+ countries). In the MENA region, The Great Greek aligns with cultural and culinary affinity for Mediterranean food while offering professional franchise systems and operational excellence that match the region's preference for quality international brands.
The Master License opportunity: building at regional scale
A MENA Master License gives you exclusive rights to develop The Great Greek across a defined territory within the region. Depending on the scope of the agreement, this could encompass a single country or a group of countries. As Master Licensee, you serve as The Great Greek's official representative, opening flagship locations and building a franchise network.Revenue streams include profits from your own locations, franchise fees from franchisees, and ongoing royalty income. The MENA region's pace of commercial development, cultural affinity with Mediterranean cuisine, and expanding F&B sector mean the addressable market for quality Mediterranean casual dining is substantial.
The Middle East & North Africa (MENA) opportunity
The MENA region is experiencing rapid commercial and economic development. Vision 2030 in Saudi Arabia, ongoing development in the UAE and Qatar, and growing business sectors across North Africa are creating demand for quality dining at every level. Cities like Dubai, Riyadh, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Cairo, and Casablanca are hubs of construction, retail expansion, hospitality, and business development.Critically, MENA consumers have deep cultural and culinary affinity for Mediterranean food. Mediterranean cuisine is not foreign to the region—it is part of the cultural and culinary landscape. This cultural affinity creates immediate consumer resonance for The Great Greek's authentic Mediterranean positioning.
The region's economic diversification away from hydrocarbons is creating thousands of new businesses annually in retail, hospitality, entertainment, and professional services. Affluent MENA consumers and expatriate business communities expect quality international dining options. For a well-connected partner in the region, the opportunity to build The Great Greek alongside this wave of economic development is substantial.
What this Master License delivers
- Exclusive development rights within a defined MENA territory, potentially spanning multiple countries
- A market aligned with major government-led economic development and diversification programs
- Multiple revenue streams from flagship locations, franchise development, and ongoing royalties
- Deep cultural and culinary affinity with Mediterranean food in the MENA region
- An internationally recognized quality brand that aligns with regional preference for proven global franchises
- Comprehensive training at UFG headquarters, plus on-site launch support in your territory
- Proprietary culinary systems and operational infrastructure
- The backing of a franchise organization with experience operating across the MENA region
Your role as Master Licensee
- Develop and execute a market growth plan aligned with commercial development in your MENA territory
- Open flagship The Great Greek locations in key commercial, business, and hospitality hubs
- Adapt menu and service offerings to local dietary customs while maintaining The Great Greek's Mediterranean brand identity
- Recruit franchisees through relationship-based business development appropriate to the region
- Build supplier relationships that deliver Mediterranean cuisine standards while leveraging local sourcing advantages
- Adapt marketing and client relationship approaches to regional business culture and consumer norms
- Maintain The Great Greek brand standards and culinary quality across all locations
Who this opportunity is for
The ideal partner for MENA is a well-established hospitality or F&B holding company with strong relationships across the regional commercial and business landscape. In the MENA context, the Master Licensee is typically an organization with existing investments in commercial services, real estate, retail, hospitality, or food service, with the relationships and credibility to open doors with government entities, developers, investors, and corporate decision-makers. Access to capital, a trusted reputation in the market, understanding of local business customs and regulatory environments, and the organizational structure to support multi-market operations are defining qualities. The Great Greek provides full operational and technical training.Training and support
Training begins at UFG headquarters in West Palm Beach, Florida, covering operations, culinary standards, supplier management, franchisee recruitment, and brand positioning. UFG then provides on-site support during your initial MENA market launches. Ongoing support includes proprietary culinary systems, regional supplier relationships, marketing resources, strategic expansion guidance, and regular communication with the international team. UFG has operated franchise brands in MENA for years and understands the region's business customs, regulatory landscape, and commercial rhythms.Take the next step
If your organization has the market relationships, commercial infrastructure, and capital to develop The Great Greek across MENA, we invite you to request our Master License Information Pack or arrange a confidential discussion about available territories.The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill Opens 20 New Locations and Achieves Double-Digit Systemwide Sales
2025 performance positions the rapidly growing Mediterranean fast casual for a strong year in 2026 – both in franchise development and sales
The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill®, one of the fastest growing restaurant chains in the U.S., announced today its year-over-year performance in 2025 – a year that marked significant growth across the system and at the unit level. The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill opened 20 new restaurants in 2025, expanding its nationwide presence in key states like Florida, California, and Texas as well as entering new markets including New Mexico and Wisconsin. The brand also reported just under $100 million in systemwide sales last year, with franchise sales seeing a remarkable 41% increase year-over-year.
On the heels of this success, The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill is accelerating its growth momentum in 2026 and is well-positioned to have a standout year during its 15th anniversary. The brand is projecting over 20 openings by the end of the year, including in global markets like Egypt, Australia, and Canada. Notably, nearly half of The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill’s unit growth is being fueled by existing franchise owners, signifying operator confidence in the brand and its future.
“In 2025 we continued to set the foundation and this year we’re on track to surpass 100 locations and $150 million in systemwide sales – milestones that reflect the strength of our franchisees and the discipline behind our growth,” said Bob Andersen, President of The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill. “The Great Greek is designed to scale, with a model that delivers strong performance while protecting the quality and hospitality that define our guest experience. We know exactly what makes this brand successful, and we’re executing on that vision every day.”
The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill attributes its compounding success to its dedicated franchise owners and innovation. The brand has been leveraging data-centric AI to better understand its guests and how restaurants are performing, turning insights into smarter decisions across marketing, operations, and menu execution. The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill experienced gains in off-premises dining in 2025 – including a 63% increase in catering sales – as well as with value-focused promotions like its Greek Feast family meals and $14.99 gyro combo. The launch of new limited time offers like its Greek Watermelon Salad and Loaded Feta Fries generated over 24,000 orders; the Watermelon Salad alone brought in 5,000 new guests.
The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill is a better-for-you, premium fast casual concept delivering fresh, cooked-to-order Mediterranean cuisine with the friendliness and attention to detail of full-service hospitality. Its menu champions authentic Mediterranean recipes featuring high-quality ingredients, including freshly prepared proteins, house-made sauces and dips, and vibrant vegetables, allowing guests to enjoy flavorful meals without compromise.
The award-winning concept is part of Big Flavor Brands™, the foodservice division of United Franchise Group™ (UFG). It is continually recognized as an industry- and category-leading brand, being named as one of the top 10 fastest growing chains of 2025 by Technomic and recently appearing on Franchise Times’ Fast & Serious list of the smartest-growing franchise brands for the second year in a row.
“The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill represents exactly the kind of franchise opportunity today’s entrepreneurs are seeking – a differentiated, high-demand concept backed by a disciplined and scalable franchise model. Our focus has always been on equipping franchisees with the systems, support, and operational efficiencies needed to succeed, and The Great Greek delivers on that promise,” said Ray Titus, Chairman and CEO of UFG. “With strong unit-level performance, growing multi-unit ownership, and expanding domestic and international demand, we see tremendous runway ahead for franchisees to grow alongside a brand that is defining the future of the Mediterranean fast casual category.”
About The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill
The award-winning Great Greek Mediterranean Grill® is a leading franchise within the Greek, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern fast-casual restaurant industry, offering a vivacious and flavorful menu inspired by foods in the Mediterranean diet. Every dish is made fresh, in-house from authentic recipes passed down generation after generation. Co-founded by two culinary trained, third-generation restauranteurs, Nick A. Della Penna and Trent Jones, The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill is an affiliated brand of United Franchise Group™, a globally recognized leader in franchising, within the United Franchise Group’s food division, Big Flavor Brands™.
About Big Flavor Brands
Big Flavor Brands™ specializes in franchises dedicated to creative eating, offering a zesty menu of fast-growing, award-winning food brands with a proven track record of success. From fast-casual restaurants with authentic third-generation recipes like The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill®, to specialty concepts like the grazing innovator and charcuterie board caterer Graze Craze®, Big Flavor Brands dominate their niches with quality, value, and tasty fare for every occasion. Big Flavor Brands represents the food division of United Franchise Group™, which is comprised of innovative concepts pushing the boundaries with an unwavering commitment to quality, variety, and the pursuit of joyful eating.
