The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, a fast-casual Mediterranean franchise, has announced that GiftAMeal will serve as its national philanthropic partner, expanding a program that converts guest photos into donations for local food banks. The partnership, which began as a pilot in July 2024 with 10 locations, now operates across more than 70 restaurants in the United States, excluding cloud kitchens, food trucks, and select Las Vegas Valley locations.
Since the pilot launched, guests have helped provide over 20,000 meals to families facing food insecurity. The process is simple: diners scan a QR code at participating restaurants, take a photo of their food or drink, and that action triggers a donation of 1.2 pounds of groceries to a trusted local food bank through GiftAMeal's network of neighborhood pantries. Sharing the photo on social media can double, triple, or even quadruple the donation.
“GiftAMeal allows our franchise operators to live our brand mission by translating local commitment into real community impact,” said Bob Andersen, President of The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill. “Across our system, guests can enjoy a great meal while helping deliver groceries through neighborhood pantries, making serving the community an integrated part of our franchise model and everyday guest experience.”
To celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day on February 17, the brand is inviting guests to participate throughout the month. At the end of February, The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill will match the monetary value of the total number of meals donated, as determined by each food bank, to contribute an equivalent number of meals.
Andrew Glantz, Founder and CEO of GiftAMeal, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership. “The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill has quickly become a valued national partner in our mission to support families facing hunger. More than 20,000 meals have already been donated through their guests' participation, and we're excited to expand our impact together as we head into our third year of partnership.”
GiftAMeal is a community engagement platform that works with over 1,000 restaurants nationwide, from local independents to national brands, and has provided over 2.8 million meals to date. The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill's adoption of the program underscores a growing trend in the restaurant industry to integrate philanthropy into the customer experience, leveraging technology to make giving back seamless and engaging.
The announcement highlights the importance of corporate partnerships in addressing food insecurity, which affects millions of Americans. By incorporating charitable giving into daily operations, The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill not only strengthens its brand loyalty but also sets a precedent for how franchises can scale social impact. Guests can find participating locations at www.thegreatgreekgrill.com/locations and follow the brand on Instagram at @greatgreekgrill for updates on the final donation amount.
