Franchising

Apola Greek Grill opening 1st franchised store

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August 17, 2022

California's Apola Greek Grill is ready for growth. The chain is opening its first franchise location this fall in Riverside and may add a second brick-and-mortar restaurant, and up to two ghost kitchen locations, before year's end. The additions would more than double Apola's presence in the Southern California market.

"The biggest win for us was not just surviving Covid-19, but coming back stronger than before," Co-Founder Stefano Kosmides said in a company press release. "Substantial growth continues in 2022 while we're also constantly fine tuning our overall operations to lower expenses, improving procedures for our team members and making sure we keep treating our guests like family. This has helped us not only maintain a loyal following but also grow our customer base."

The team anticipates opening three or four restaurants in 2023 and five or more in 2024, with the focus on Southern California but potentially reaching more parts of the state, as well as Nevada and Arizona.

Founded by brothers Yianni and Stefano Kosmides in Irvine, California, Apola has two locations in Irvine and Yorba Linda, was ranked No. 5 on Fast Casual's Brands to Watch in 2021.