The Big Greek Café is expanding its seafood-forward fast-casual program into a second Frederick County, Maryland, market, signing a 2,500-square-foot lease at Westview Promenade in time for an October 16 grand opening. The chain, which operates 15 locations across Maryland and Virginia, centers its menu on shrimp bowls, grilled salmon salads, and shrimp pitas alongside its broader Greek lineup — making seafood a core protein pillar at every unit.
The Seafood Program
The restaurant's aquatic-protein offerings span multiple dayparts and formats. Big Greek Bowls are available with shrimp as a featured protein alongside gyro, chicken, pork, and falafel. The salad menu includes grilled salmon and grilled shrimp options — positioning the chain squarely in the fast-casual seafood segment that has attracted growing consumer interest across the mid-Atlantic corridor. For regional seafood foodservice trends, the expansion signals continued operator confidence in Mediterranean-style fish and shellfish presentations at accessible price points.
Director of Operations Niko Kontos cited Westview Promenade's family-oriented foot traffic, its Regal Cinema anchor, and the presence of MOM's Organic Market as decisive factors in site selection. The organic grocery co-tenancy is notable: MOM's customer base skews toward sustainability-conscious shoppers, a demographic that research consistently shows over-indexes on seafood consumption and willingness to pay a premium for traceable, responsibly sourced product. Whether The Big Greek Café sources its shrimp and salmon under any third-party certification — BAP, MSC, or equivalent — was not disclosed in available materials.
Mid-Atlantic Operator Context
The Westview Promenade location sits at the intersection of Maryland Route 85 and Crestwood Boulevard, within a 200,000-square-foot outdoor lifestyle center that draws from a trade area of more than 90,000 residents across a five-mile radius. Average household income in that catchment exceeds $85,000 — a consumer profile that supports higher-margin seafood entrées. For context on how similar demographics are shaping shellfish and finfish demand at the restaurant level, analysts have pointed to the mid-Atlantic as one of the stronger regional markets for fast-casual operators leaning into shrimp, salmon, and crab SKUs.
The lease was brokered by Danielle Bridge, Leasing Manager for Hill Management Services, and KLNB's Mason Bernstein on the landlord side, with KLNB's Michael Ginsburg representing The Big Greek Café. Hill Management owns more than four million square feet of commercial real estate across the region. Danielle Beyrodt, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Hill Management Services, noted that the addition of Mediterranean cuisine — with its inherent emphasis on seafood proteins — advances the center's strategy of offering a differentiated dining mix. With 15 units now operating and a second Frederick County address coming online, The Big Greek Café's shrimp and salmon program reaches an expanding share of the suburban Maryland foodservice market.
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.
