The Big Greek Cafe has opened its second Frederick County location at Westview Promenade, a 200,000-square-foot outdoor lifestyle center at the intersection of Maryland Route 85 and Crestwood Boulevard. The quick-service Mediterranean chain, which now operates 15 locations across Maryland and Virginia, celebrated its grand opening on October 16, expanding a regional footprint built on gyro pitas, Greek bowls, and traditional dishes such as Moussaka and Spanakopita.
The Site Decision
Director of Operations Niko Kontos cited the center's "family-oriented environment, movie theatre and strong foot traffic during all day parts" as key drivers in selecting Westview Promenade. The center is anchored by Regal Westview Cinema and MOM's Organic Market — a tenant mix that Kontos described as generating consistent traffic from families, business professionals, and area visitors. More than 90,000 consumers live within a five-mile radius of the property, representing nearly 35,000 households with an average income exceeding $85,000, a demographic profile that aligns with fast-casual Mediterranean concepts targeting health-conscious, mid-to-upper-income diners.
The 2,500-square-foot lease was brokered by Danielle Bridge, Leasing Manager for landlord Hill Management Services, alongside KLNB's Mason Bernstein representing the landlord and KLNB's Michael Ginsburg representing The Big Greek Cafe as tenant. Hill Management Services, a Timonium, Maryland-based private real estate development firm founded in 1976, owns more than four million square feet of office, industrial, and retail space across multiple asset classes.
Why Operators Should Watch This
The Westview Promenade opening reflects a broader pattern in fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant expansion — brands leveraging lifestyle and mixed-use centers with entertainment anchors to drive multi-daypart visits. Co-tenants at the center include Starbucks, Cold Stone Creamery, X-Golf, and LOFT, a lineup designed to draw repeat traffic throughout the week rather than clustering visits around a single anchor.
Danielle Beyrodt, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Hill Management Services, framed the signing as part of a deliberate tenant-curation strategy. "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," she said, noting that Mediterranean cuisine was a gap the center sought to fill.
For regional QSR and fast-casual operators, the deal illustrates how lifestyle centers — particularly those with cinema and specialty grocery anchors — are increasingly attractive alternatives to traditional strip malls. The all-daypart foot traffic that entertainment anchors generate can meaningfully lift lunch, dinner, and weekend covers for adjacent food concepts. Industry observers tracking fast-casual Mediterranean growth note that the segment has sustained strong unit-level economics in suburban markets where household incomes support premium ingredient positioning.
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 Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
