Note: Nick the Greek delayed the opening until later in 2026.
A California-based Greek food franchise plans to open a location inside the Signal Mill building on Manufacturers Road later this month and has pledged to offer free lunch to the community on its opening day.
The grand opening of Chattanooga’s first Nick The Greek location is set for Sept. 29. It is the Greek chain’s third location in the Volunteer State, following two Nashville stores that opened earlier this year, and its 1o6th overall.
The co-owners of the Chattanooga location, Jordan Nari and Gary Mitchell, are excited about the opportunity ahead of them regarding the new North Shore restaurant.
“No offense,” Mitchell said in an interview at the restaurant, “but Chattanooga is a cute town. Its a hidden gem.”
Mitchell confirmed that free lunch will be offered to anyone between 11 a.m.- 2:30 p.m. opening day.
Nick The Greek will open first Chattanooga location, offer free lunch this month
Nick The Greek has quickly expanded from a college start-up idea in San Jose, California, to a full-blown restaurant franchiser with 106 locations in a little over a decade, according to Rob Crider, the chain’s director of franchising.
“You smell it, hear it, see it and then you try it,” Crider said in a phone call. “From there, it’s all she wrote.”
Crider credited the in-house food prep, the inviting atmosphere and the open kitchen layout as factors that have contributed to the chain’s national success.
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In addition to the 106 stores, there are 67 franchisees in the process of opening restaurants around the country, according to Crider.
Nari and Mitchell, who live in Nashville and Reno, Nevada, respectively, signed onto a five-franchise agreement with Nick The Greek. Chattanooga is the third location in the agreement, following the two Nashville locations. Crider stated that the owners have committed to two more Chattanooga locations, which would come at a later, undisclosed date.
The ownership duo’s first Nashville location opened in September 2025 downtown, and its second opened in late January in Nashville’s Inglewood neighborhood.
“They were interested in more business-friendly climate,” Crider said about the ownership duo. “After they looked into different states, they said, ‘Nashville’s our market. We like it. We love it.'”
Tennessee is the eighth state to host Nick The Greek franchises, following California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Texas, Kansas and Missouri.
The average Nick The Greek store generates about $1.55 million in annual revenue, according to Crider. Mitchell said that the Nashville stores have performed significantly above average, and that the downtown location generates close to $3 million in annual revenue. He expects the Chattanooga location to remain around the national average for the Greek chain.
A lack of foot traffic along Manufacturers Road will be a hurdle for the restaurant, according to Mitchell.
“It’ll take a little bit of work in marketing,” Mitchell said, “because we’re kind of stuck here in the corner.”
Nick The Greek’s menu offers a wide swath of food options, Mitchell said. Patrons can purchase traditional Mediterranean options (gyros, baklava, Greek salads) or classic American fast-food options such as burgers and fries.
“I describe it as healthy food or unhealthy food, whatever you want,” Mitchell said. “With the variety of food, you could literally eat there every day and not have the same type of food.”
The restaurant will reside at 205 Manufacturers Road, Suite 105, directly next to Wolfgang Bakery and Grooming. Nick The Greek joins a growing list of Mediterranean restaurants in Chattanooga, including Acropolis, Metropolis Cafe, and Taziki’s, among others.
Contact digital producer Sam Kohn at skohn@timesfreepress.com.