MEET OUR TEAM

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WE Prepare Memorable Greek Meals, Daily!

We grew up preparing and enjoying great food in a place with an equally great ambiance. And although we cannot invite everybody to our family’s traditional Sunday dinner, we still want our customers to have the same experience. As such, our team prepares memorable Greek meals—traditional and delicious—in our restaurant.

What makes each meal at The Great Greek memorable is the effort we put into preparing each one. After 30 years in the industry, our customers keep coming back to our restaurant because we serve freshly made food every day.

We also make sure to use only the freshest ingredients, therefore ensuring consistently high-quality Greek food. As a result, our restaurant exceeds the expectations of everyone who dines with us.

Bob Andersen

Brand President

Bob is highly regarded as a restaurant industry leader with a successful track record in growing emerging restaurant brands. He has developed a unique and diverse perspective in all aspects of the restaurant business. His experience includes C-level and Senior executive positions with a large international restaurant company to launching a start-up restaurant brand. Bob has also owned, developed and operated multi-unit restaurants as a multi-brand franchisee, area developer and Area Representative.

Having successfully led teams in QSR, fast casual and full-service restaurant brands to achieving remarkable results in operational performance, brand experience, franchising and sales growth. Each brand has achieved exceptional growth results and recognition from the national press, including Nation’s Restaurant News “Hot Concepts” and Fast Casual Magazines “Top Concepts to Watch” awards. Bob credits the driving force behind his team’s success is their focus and commitment to delivering on three simple principals; Engage Great People, Nurture a Great Brand Culture, and Select Great Restaurant Sites.

Nick Della Penna

Co-Founder of The Great Greek Grill

Mr. Della Penna is an accomplished leader and visionary in the restaurant and hospitality industry for over 35 years. Nick has an undying passion for The Great Greek and his enthusiasm for the brand is contagious. His attention to detail and commitment to providing his guests an amazing dining experience is the foundation to the success of The Great Greek. Mr. Della Penna has been in the hospitality industry since 1984 beginning his career in Houston, Texas and has been a successful leader at every stop during his journey. He has worked for over 20 years in Las Vegas at several hotel/casinos culminating as the Vice President of Food and Beverage for MGM Resorts International.

TRENT JONES

Co-Founder of The Great Greek Grill

Trent has been a highly successful award-winning entrepreneur in the restaurant and hospitality industry. Leading the growth of The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill from its original location in Henderson, NV to a global emerging franchise and restaurant brand in four short years. The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill has received multiple food service awards in the Las Vegas, Nevada, market, including four straight years as “The Best of Las Vegas.” Today, Trent’s restaurant operation for The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill has grown 400% from its original restaurant. In addition, the franchise business has grown to over 30 locations with 280 restaurants in development.

Solange Hudo

Director of Real Estate

Meet Solange Hudo, our brilliant Director of Real Estate! With her unique expertise, Solange identifies the perfect sites to drive high sales and revenue growth. Her incredible negotiating skills help secure favorable contract terms and ensure our restaurants open on time with maximum impact. With over seven years of experience in Real Estate Management, Solange is a natural leader who inspires her team to work at their highest level. She’s passionate about building relationships with our franchisees, brokers, and direct reports, a key ingredient for long-term success.

Solange holds a Real Estate License in NV and attended both the University of Puerto Rico and DeVry University. With her on board, we’re excited for the continued growth and success of The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill!

Nanette Salva

Business Advisor & Lead Trainer

Nan has a rich background working with restaurant and retail management teams and their team members with developing their leadership, management and business potential. Nan started her culinary career at The Ritz Carlton in Manalapan, FL. She has also worked for such companies as Panera Bread, Sonic Drive-In, Hurricane Grill & Wings, TooJay’s Gourmet Deli, Bloomingdale’s, and Pier One Imports.

Nan’s dynamic approach simplifies focal points ensuring that targets in service, operation execution, food safety, and quality control are met. For more than 28 years, Nan has been delivering coaching on how to effectively operate a restaurant, provide first line support to Franchise owners, develop corporate training programs, processes, and system roll outs along with training restaurants.

Hemal Parag

Project Manager

Hemal Parag is a seasoned project management expert with over 21 years of experience in the construction industry. From field operations to office management, Hemal has consistently delivered successful projects across various sectors, including commercial, industrial, multi-unit, retail, restaurant, government, and residential. His track record speaks for itself: projects completed on time and within budget.

Marc Manopla

Business Advisor

Marc was born in Germany on an Army base in Karlsruhe and raised in Staten Island, NY. Eventually, he moved to South Florida in 2003 and has lived in Palm Beach County since. Marc spent his career to date with Covelli Enterprises, overseeing numerous franchise locations of Panera Bread for 18 years. In that time most of his proudest moments have been helping to raise money for various philanthropic endeavors that contributed to those in need. As an avid Cross-fitter, Marc also has a passion for overall health. He loves to help others with their diet as well as helping in the gym.

Chuck McAulay

Vice President of Marketing

Chuck McAulay, a native of Scotland, is an accomplished marketing executive with a deep passion for building brands and empowering entrepreneurs. He currently serves as Vice President of Marketing for The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, where he leads strategic marketing efforts and brand development across the franchise system.

Chuck brings a wealth of international and domestic experience to his role, having served as Director of Marketing for Burger King in Canada and as Marketing Director for Bonefish Grill, part of the Bloomin’ Brands family, in Tampa FL. Throughout his career, Chuck has specialized in franchise marketing and has worked extensively with franchise partners to drive growth, customer engagement, and operational excellence.

A strong advocate for marketing that supports entrepreneurs, Chuck originally joined United Franchise Group (UFG) in 2020. He played a critical role in the early success of The Great Greek brand, helping to establish its foundation and momentum during its formative years. After a brief hiatus with Hard Rock Café International, he rejoined UFG, bringing back his strategic vision and deep industry insight to support continued growth.

Chuck’s leadership is defined by his hands-on approach, collaborative mindset, and dedication to delivering measurable results in competitive markets.

Katie Applefield

Director of Marketing

Katie was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and has lived in several vibrant cities including Austin, Texas, and Charleston, South Carolina. She is a proud graduate of the University of Georgia, where she laid the foundation for her career in marketing.

Katie began her professional journey at Popeyes, where she collaborated closely with franchise partners and contributed to major brand initiatives, including the iconic Chicken Sandwich launch. She went on to hold marketing roles at Smokey Bones and, most recently, Hard Rock Café, before joining United Franchise Group and The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill team.

With a strong background in menu management, limited time offer promotions, and ROI analysis, Katie brings a wealth of experience in franchisee relations and a broad knowledge of the marketing landscape. Her passion for brand growth and strategic planning makes her a valuable asset to any team she joins.

To meet more team members, please visit UFG homepage

Restaurateurs with Decades of Industry Experience

We are third generation restaurateurs who have more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry. So, when we say that the business of delicious food is in our blood, we mean it.

In fact, our favorite childhood memories include the traditional Sunday dinners with our extended family. Everyone would gather at our grandparents’ home to exchange animated stories and bask in the sound of hearty laughter while enjoying great company and even better food.

As we grew older, we started hosting the traditional family gatherings. And, as the saying goes, some things never change—the family never runs out of delightful stories to share during the weekly feast of fresh, homemade food.

Given our background, then, it is safe to say that delicious food is what we know, what we do, and what we love. We are so passionate about it, that we turned it into a living.

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill wants to make each meal a memorable one. We succeed at creating memories because of the highly knowledgeable and experienced team that prepares high-quality Greek cuisine and sets a pleasant atmosphere in our restaurant.