Mediterranean is having a moment in American foodservice, and The Big Greek Café is reading the room. The fast-growing quick-service chain just planted its flag at Westview Promenade in Frederick, Maryland — its second location in Frederick County and the latest proof point that gyro pitas and grain bowls are becoming a core part of the fast-casual mix, not a niche play.
The restaurant signed a lease with Hill Management Services, Inc. for 2,500 square feet inside the 200,000-square-foot outdoor lifestyle center at the intersection of Maryland Route 85 (Buckeystown Pike) and Crestwood Boulevard. The grand opening is set for Friday, October 16. It joins the brand’s existing Urbana location, giving The Big Greek Café two footholds in one of Maryland’s fastest-growing counties.
Why Westview Promenade — and Why Now
For an operator, site selection is strategy, and The Big Greek Café’s rationale is a clinic in choosing high-traffic, all-day-part real estate. The center is anchored by Regal Westview Cinema and MOM’s Organic Market, with a tenant mix that includes X-Golf, Starbucks Coffee, Cold Stone Creamery, and LOFT.
Director of Operations Niko Kontos said the chain selected Westview Promenade based on “its family-oriented environment, movie theatre and strong foot traffic during all day parts.”
“We consider Westview Promenade as the premiere shopping center venue in the greater Frederick area, with a highly-attractive tenant mix that draws businesspeople, families, and visitors to the area. Several strong and traffic-generating anchor stores such as MOM’s Organic Market solidified our decision,” Kontos added.
The demographics back up the bet. More than 90,000 consumers live within a five-mile radius of Westview Promenade, including nearly 35,000 households with an average household income exceeding $85,000 — the kind of density and spending power that supports a fast-casual concept across lunch, dinner, and the movie-and-shopping crowd.
What’s on the Menu
The Big Greek Café operates 15 locations throughout the Maryland and Virginia region, built around a menu designed for speed without sacrificing authenticity. Highlights include:
- Gyro pitas
- Big Greek Bowls filled with gyro, chicken, pork, falafel, and shrimp
- Salads including grilled salmon, grilled chicken, and grilled shrimp
- Big Greek French fries with feta cheese, parsley, herbs, and tzatziki sauce
- Traditional dishes such as Moussaka, Pastitsio, and Spanakopita
That lineup lands squarely in the better-for-you, protein-forward, customizable-bowl territory that continues to drive fast-casual growth — a format diners already understand and one that travels well across day parts.
The Landlord’s Playbook
On the real estate side, Danielle Bridge, Leasing Manager for Hill Management Services, and KLNB’s Mason Bernstein represented the landlord, while KLNB’s Michael Ginsburg represented the tenant.
“The arrival of The Big Greek Café adds Mediterranean cuisine into the Westview Promenade tenant mix, and this multi-location concept has been embraced by the community at each restaurant site,” said Danielle Beyrodt, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Hill Management Services. “Our team continues to cultivate a diverse range of sit-down and fast-casual restaurants, entertainment options, health and beauty concepts, and personal and professional service offerings to offer a highly-differentiated consumer experience. Adding The Big Greek Café helps further this mission.”
Founded in 1976, Hill Management Services, Inc. is a privately owned, full-service real estate development company based in Timonium, Maryland, with more than four million square feet of office, industrial, and retail space, plus several hotel and self-storage facilities.
Why It Matters
For restaurant operators and foodservice executives watching the fast-casual landscape, this deal is a useful case study in disciplined expansion. The Big Greek Café isn’t chasing novelty — it’s clustering a second unit near an existing, proven market and anchoring it inside a lifestyle center that generates traffic across every day part.
The practical takeaways:
- Co-tenancy is a growth lever. Anchors like a cinema and an organic grocer deliver built-in, repeat footfall — effectively subsidizing customer acquisition for a small-footprint QSR.
- Mediterranean keeps earning shelf space. Operators and landlords alike are treating gyros, bowls, and falafel as mainstream fast-casual demand, not a specialty bet.
- Market density beats market sprawl. A second nearby location can sharpen brand awareness, supply-chain efficiency, and labor flexibility rather than dilute them.
For procurement and development teams, it’s a reminder that the 2,500-square-foot inline space inside the right center can outperform a bigger, standalone box when the demographics and anchors line up.
Scaling a multi-unit concept the smart way? See how other operators are growing, from Urban Bird Hot Chicken’s franchise expansion to how restaurants can build a profitable catering business. Are Mediterranean concepts the next big fast-casual category in your market? Drop your take in the comments.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40” for founding American Wholesale Floral. Politz is also the founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
