Nick the Greek will have a grand opening Feb. 27 in Fair Oaks with free lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 

FAIR OAKS, CA (MPG) - Fair Oaks is home to many ethnic restaurants. In a few days, the town can add Greek food to its impressive roster.

Nick the Greek, a popular quick-service chain, will offer a free lunch for its grand opening on Feb. 27.

Local fans of Nick the Greek, which has 70 locations throughout California and beyond, have been anxiously anticipating the opening of the Fair Oaks location. The first announcement of the new spot came in 2022, when patrons of the Quail Pointe shopping center observed building renovations and signs announcing the restaurant opening here. The building seemed to have reached completion and then all went quiet.

"I love this restaurant!" said Nick the Greek fan Linus Oliver in an online review. "I've been waiting for the Fair Oaks location to open for many months. The signs are up, everything seems to be in place but it's always dark and locked up. I check every time I go past that location."

Fortunately, the wait is now over. Nick the Greek will open shortly and is offering free entrees from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 27. All patrons need to do to receive a free entree is drop by during that time frame.

Prior to the Fair Oaks opening, the closest location was in Roseville and other franchises are in Davis and Elk Grove. The restaurant first opened in San Jose in 2015, and since then has expanded all over California as well as Utah, Nevada and Texas. According to a press release sent out by Nick the Greek, more California locations are in the works, including in Alameda, Tracy and Irvine.

Nick the Greek was founded and is partially operated by a Greek family. The original concept was by three cousins who grew up in a close-knit family that would travel together to Greece. Ironically, all three cousins are named Nick Tsigaris and are affectionately known as Big Nick, Little Nick and Baby Nick.

After noticing a lack of quality Greek food in the South Bay area, "the Nicks" used their second-generation restauranteur skills to open the popular chain's first location. Franchise opportunities took off and successful franchisee Anil Yadav purchased an initial 48 stores in 2022. The Tsigaris family remain minority owners.

Business aside, Fair Oaks restaurant fans have a lot to look forward to. The Nick the Greek menu includes an array of salads, bowls and gyros. Signature items include Nicks Fries, which are topped with feta, garlic, spicy yogurt and a choice of meat; and the Grecian Beeftiki Burger. Some lesser-known offerings that are a hit with regulars include avgolemono soup and frozen Greek yogurt topped with crumbled baklava and drizzled honey.

Nick the Greek Fair Oaks is at 5355 Sunrise Blvd., next to Sushimono, in the same shopping center as Trader Joe's. Visit in person, starting Feb. 27, call in an order at 916-671-3378 or order online at nickthegreek.com.