Growing Brand Opened 100th Greek Street Food Franchise in May 2026
- Nick the Greek will open a restaurant in Tyler, Texas, this month, its sixth location in the Lone Star State.
- The restaurant franchise, which specializes in Greek street food, already has 100 units in operation. Its menu includes gyros, souvlaki and traditional Greek desserts.
- The Greek street food franchise opened its 100th restaurant in May in San Diego.
- The brand reports high unit volume and strong revenue growth, even as many other restaurants struggle.
Nick the Greek, a national Greek street food franchise, will open a location this month in Tyler, Texas, a community about 95 miles east of Dallas. Nick the Greek restaurants are known for their gyros, bowls, salads, souvlaki and desserts.
Seasoned franchisees and Tyler residents Ricky and Lindsey Holt will be the owner-operators of the franchise’s newest unit. Lindsey envisions strong potential in Tyler, which had an estimated population of more than 113,000 in July 2025, per the U.S. Census Bureau. “We see a lot of opportunity as the area continues to grow,” she says. “We often call Tyler our ‘big small town’ because it offers the amenities of a larger market while maintaining the close-knit feel that makes East Texas special.”
Chief Marketing Officer Baby Nick Tsigaris, who is also one of the brand’s co-founders, said the Tyler restaurant represents part of his franchise’s plan to continue growing throughout the Lone Star State. “We look forward to welcoming Tyler guests to the Nick the Greek family, giving the community a fresh way to enjoy the Greek cuisine we’ve been sharing with guests across the country.”
Built on Tradition
Baby Nick and his co-founders, Big Nick and Little Nick Tsigaris – three cousins named after their grandfather in accordance with Greek tradition – launched their Greek restaurant concept in 2014 in San Jose, Calif. The Tsigaris’ goal was to offer tasty, flavorful, authentic Greek food in a fast-casual environment. Nick the Greek meals feature gyro meats cooked in-house on a vertical rotisserie, charbroiled souvlaki skewers, tangy sauces and fresh vegetables. And for dessert: baklava and Greek donuts.
Nick the Greek franchised its first unit in 2018 and has experienced a boom from 2023 to the present. During that period, Nick the Greek nearly doubled its store count, the company stated in a recent news release.
The restaurant franchise opened its 100th location in San Diego on May 19, 2026. The Tyler location will join five currently open locations in Texas, which are in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas. The Nick the Greek franchise also has units up and running in Arizona, California, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, Tennessee and Utah. Dozens more franchises are licensed and in development, according to the news release.
Impressive Revenue Gains
Nick the Greek has posted robust revenue despite inflation, according to coverage by trade publications.
The franchise’s sales jumped by 30.5% year-over-year in 2024, to finish with $108 million, Nation’s Restaurant News reported in July 2025. And sales have stayed strong, QSRmagazine.com reported this year. The fast-food industry publication said that in the first half of 2026, same-store sales increased 18.2%, a rise that was propelled by a hefty 14.8% bump in transactions and 3% growth in average check amounts. Those statistics, supplied by the foodservice and restaurant intelligence consulting firm Technomic, indicate the brand has significantly outperformed its restaurant competitors.
Nick the Greek has further raised its profile with various industry accolades. RestaurantNews.com notes that it is ranked in Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500, has been recognized by Fast Casual’s 2025 Top 100 Movers & Shakers, and climbed to No. 318 on the Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Business annual rankings of the Top 500 Restaurant Chains.
Franchise Opportunity
Franchisee candidates also will appreciate these advantages of the franchise:
- The restaurants’ average unit volume was $1.4 million in 2025, according to Nation’s Restaurant News.
- Catering provides a revenue stream that supplements on-premises dining.
- A rewards program encourages repeat visits by guests.
Nick the Greek is developing territories from coast to coast and in nearly every state. For information about ownership opportunities, visit Nick the Greek’s franchising website, which includes a map showing states where development has occurred and is available. For more information about the franchise’s restaurants, visit Nick the Greek’s general website.
Backing the Brand
Yadav Enterprises bought a majority stake in Nick the Greek in December 2022, Franchise Times reported. The founding Tsigaris cousins and another partner, Baby Nick’s childhood friend Komiel Mohsen, are minority owners.
Yadav Enterprises, which is led by founder and CEO Anil Yadav, has a restaurant portfolio of more than 1,100 locations nationwide. It acquired Del Taco from Jack in the Box last December and Taco Cabana from Fiesta Restaurant Group in 2021. Yadav is the largest Jack in the Box franchisee with more than 200 locations.
