--- title: "Mediterranean Fast Casual Luna Grill Rides Consumer Health Shift to Record Growth" url: https://burnaze.com/article/db073b9b-c14a-44de-9c6f-4a97ca3bdb73 source: "QSR Magazine" original_url: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/story/mediterranean-fast-casual-luna-grill-rides-consumer-health-shift-to-record-growth/ author: "Ben Coley" category: "Casual dining" industry: "Restaurants" segment: "Casual dining" published: 2026-06-22T14:12:36.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T13:18:59.546Z image: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/foodlunagrill-scaled.jpg --- # Mediterranean Fast Casual Luna Grill Rides Consumer Health Shift to Record Growth **TL;DR:** Luna Grill, a 60-unit Mediterranean fast casual brand, achieved its fifth consecutive year of same-store sales growth, driven by a 9.3 percent rise in transactions during the first quarter. The company expects to finish the year with 67 locations, with expansion concentrated in the Sun Belt. *By Ben Coley, originally published in QSR Magazine on 2026-06-22. [Read the original](https://www.qsrmagazine.com/story/mediterranean-fast-casual-luna-grill-rides-consumer-health-shift-to-record-growth/).* ## Key facts - Luna Grill has 60 units and 5 years of same-store sales growth - Digital sales account for over 55% of total sales - The company expects to finish the year with 67 locations ## Story The 60-unit brand completed its fifth consecutive year of same-store sales growth and 11 straight quarters of transaction growth, momentum that has carried into 2026. In the first quarter, same-store sales increased 13.3 percent, fueled by a 9.3 percent rise in transactions. On a two-year basis, same-store sales are up 22 percent and transactions have climbed 15.2 percent. ## Leadership and growth Amid this sales streak, Rich Pinnella was promoted from president to CEO last year after six years with the company. Founder and previous CEO Sean Pourteymour is now executive chairman and chairman of the board. “I believe our relevance is compounding,” Pinnella says. “The consumer has shifted, and what we stand for as a brand, we’re very much in alignment.” Pinnella describes the evolution of restaurant dining through three distinct eras. In the 90s, food was fuel. In the 2000s, food was experience. Today, food is performance. More specifically, guests are now paying closer attention to longevity, recovery, and ingredient transparency, and Luna Grill is being rewarded for its wellness proposition, consistency, and community connection. Menu boards prominently display nutritional information, including protein and fiber counts, while digital channels allow guests to personalize recommendations based on dietary preferences. “We are very GLP-1 friendly,” Pinnella says. “It’s just becoming very transparent and allowing consumers that choice and control. The more choice and control we can provide consumers, the more they want to eat it how they want it, where they want it.” ## Sales and digital channels Dine-in, digital, and both first- and third-party delivery sales are increasing. In fact, digital now accounts for over 55 percent of sales. The wellness trend has also influenced how Luna Grill thinks about value. While many brands have introduced dedicated menus, discounts, or smaller portions, Pinnella views value through a different lens. He separates it into price value, abundant value, and quality value. The chain’s pita sandwiches represent price value, family meals and catering provide abundant value, and premium offerings such as salmon and steak showcase quality value. Despite inflation and rising food costs, Luna Grill hasn’t wavered on quality or moved to smaller portion sizes. Instead, the fast casual chose to bring improvements to its pita sandwiches. These changes have resonated with younger consumers. “Gen Z, the cohort that has the least disposable income, values good food that’s good for you almost the most,” Pinnella says. “I’m not seeing a drop off in our Gen Z consumer. If not, it’s just growing as they find out more and more about our brand.” The company maintains an average guest rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars across Google, Yelp, and Tripadvisor and reports employee turnover of roughly 44 percent, significantly below industry averages. ## Company culture and expansion Pinnella credits much of Luna Grill’s success to a culture-first operating philosophy that prioritizes employee development as much as restaurant performance. With low turnover, leadership has been able to shift its focus beyond day-to-day execution and toward developing future leaders. Luna Grill’s management teams participate in discussions around leadership, communication, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution. Pinnella believes that investment in people creates a stronger guest experience and provides a competitive advantage in an industry where many brands are relying on automation and reduced service models. “I view connection as our superpower,” Pinnella says. The company’s culture is also supporting an ambitious growth strategy. Luna Grill expects to finish the year with 67 locations. The fast casual recently opened in Long Beach, California, and will add another unit in Dallas-Fort Worth this week. The brand also plans on opening in San Clemente, California, next month. Luna Grill will open roughly one restaurant per month this year before accelerating development in 2027, a pace that would push annual unit growth above 20 percent. Expansion remains concentrated in the Sun Belt. Luna Grill continues to add locations throughout California and Texas, is building density in Arizona, and expects to enter Nevada next year. Pinnella says the company is intentionally focusing on market density before moving into additional states. Supporting that growth is a larger development infrastructure that includes dedicated training, supply chain, logistics, and new restaurant opening teams. “We’re having fun with what we’re doing, and it’s having a pretty good amount of success,” Pinnella says. ## Entities - unit expansion (topic) - QSR (sector) - menu pricing (topic) - QSR Magazine (publication) - texas (location) - California (location) - Ben Coley (person) - Arizona (location) - Nevada (location) - company culture (topic) - Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas (location) - digital sales (topic) --- Originally reported by Ben Coley, QSR Magazine (https://www.qsrmagazine.com/story/mediterranean-fast-casual-luna-grill-rides-consumer-health-shift-to-record-growth/). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/db073b9b-c14a-44de-9c6f-4a97ca3bdb73).