---
title: "The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill Recognizes Top Performers at 2023 Convention"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/34224537-7fde-4922-bf5d-ae85b733d913
source: "Franchising.com"
original_url: https://www.franchising.com/news/20230920_the_great_greek_mediterranean_grill_recognizes_top_performers_at_2023_conve.html
category: "Casual dining"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Casual dining"
published: 2023-09-20T12:00:00.000Z
modified: 2026-10-31T20:32:43.589Z
image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1555396273-367ea4eb4db5?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop
---

# The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill Recognizes Top Performers at 2023 Convention

**TL;DR:** The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill hosted its 2023 brand convention in Orlando, Florida, recognizing top performers with various awards. The event featured keynotes from business experts and brand leaders, including Nick Della Penna and Ray Titus.

*originally published in Franchising.com on 2023-09-20. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/news/20230920_the_great_greek_mediterranean_grill_recognizes_top_performers_at_2023_conve.html).*

## Story

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill® recently hosted its 2023 brand convention in Orlando, Florida, gathering executives, suppliers, franchise owners and their employees.

The two-day event included workshops and team-building activities, networking opportunities, and a vendor showcase. Featured speakers were Nick Della Penna, co-founder of The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, and Ray Titus, CEO of United Franchise Group™ (UFG), of which The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill is an affiliated brand. Other keynotes were given by business experts Danny Snow and Zack Oates, who spoke on the value of the guest experience and how to improve it.

The event wrapped up with an awards ceremony recognizing the brand’s top performers, including:

- **MVP Award:** Mike Fardous (Detroit, MI)

- **President’s Award:** Scott Willis (Charleston, SC)

- **Circle of Excellence Inductees:** The Colony, TX; Winter Garden, FL; Port St. Lucie, FL; Troy, MI; Lake Nona, FL; and Shelby Township, MI

- **Team Player:** John David and Alexia Budko (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) and Kevin Carmean (Orlando, FL)

- **Rookie of the Year:** Lakena & Andrew Van Vleet (Maple Grove, MN)

- **Overall Sales & Achievement:** The staff of Shelby Township, MI

- **Customer Experience:** The staffs of Shelby Township, MI; Rocky River, OH; West Bloomfield, MI; and Lake Nona, FL

- **Local Store Marketing:** The staff of Mount Pleasant, SC

- **Community Service:** The staff of Aurora, CO

- **Quality:** The staff of Charleston, SC

- **Store Appearance:** The staff of Mount Pleasant, SC

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill is a part of Big Flavor Brands™, the food service division of Starpoint Brands™, a family of trusted companies affiliated with United Franchise Group™. 

## Entities

- Franchising.com (publication)
- Restaurants (sector)
- United Franchise Group (UFG) (company)
- Ray Titus (person)
- franchise performance (topic)
- The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill (company)
- awards ceremony (topic)
- Starpoint Brands (company)
- Big Flavor Brands (company)
- brand convention (topic)

---
Originally reported by Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/news/20230920_the_great_greek_mediterranean_grill_recognizes_top_performers_at_2023_conve.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/34224537-7fde-4922-bf5d-ae85b733d913).