At OPA! of Greece, fresh, authentic Greek food has been a recipe of success for 20 years
Step up to the counter at OPA! of Greece and the saying “It’s all Greek to me” rings true.
It’s not just in the offerings on the quick-serve stalwart’s focused menu, which stars Greece’s most popular fare, including souvlaki, spanakopita, calamari and Greek salad.
It’s also in the way each item is prepared with an attention to quality and a dedication to authenticity.
Take OPA!’s calamari. Everything about it defies the shortcuts so many diners use as a tradeoff for the convenience of a fast meal. Each serving is breaded and spiced to order, true to the way a Greek family would do it in their own home.
“The Greeks are very gregarious and hospitable people,” says Mickella Lycka, OPA!’s supply chain manager. “If you were going to go into their homes, they would take the same time to prepare a meal that is delicious and still healthy. They don’t cut corners when they have guests in their home, so we don’t cut corners when we have guests in our restaurants.”
OPA! has defied expectations since co-founders Niko Tiginagas and Don Gebauer shelled out their first plate of calamari in Calgary’s Market Mall in 1998. In the 20 years and 95 stores that have opened since then, OPA! has stayed true to the hallmarks of the Mediterranean diet by using whole food ingredients, prepared simply at their height of freshness.
All souvlaki is still handskewered. Greek salad isn’t iceberg lettuce tossed together with a few token tomatoes and feta cheese; in fact, there isn’t a soggy leaf to be found in the chunky mixture of tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives and feta that harkens back to the old country. Even OPA!’s signature tzatziki is made with pure dairy — a bragging right that sets it apart from the competition’s sauce.
“There’s a lot of labour in our back-of-house, probably more than most restaurants,” Lycka says. “We’re definitely not a ‘just add water’ situation. There’s a lot of expertise and labour and commitment that goes into making our products. We have a great team of franchisees who understand why we do it and what it means to our customers.”
That recipe for success isn’t about to change as OPA! marks its 20th anniversary this year. If anything, it’s something worth celebrating as much now as it was in 1998, when burger joints ruled the quick-serve food market.
“Choices weren’t all that healthy 20 years ago,” says Dorrie Karras, OPA! of Greece CEO. “We really pioneered that. We were well positioned at that time as one of the first in that area and that really propelled us. Greek food has become quite familiar to most, especially in Western Canada, where we made it so much more accessible.”
To celebrate the anniversary, loyal customers can share 20 reasons why they love OPA! on social media for the chance to win a catered meal for 20 people. Winners will be chosen from every OPA! market between Victoria and Toronto.
OPA! will also unveil new menu items, including a chicken gyro made with dark meat whole cuts, to beckon the hungry for at least another 20 years.
Fans should watch for TV cooking segments featuring OPA!’s time-honoured recipes and the preparation techniques they expect and love. Special-edition fountain cups and T-shirts will also be fixtures at every location.
“The people who know OPA! really love it,” says Mike MacDonald, OPA!’s marketing director. “They’re passionate about our food and they’re not shy about sharing their love for our brand on our social channels.”
OPA! will also unveil new menu items, including a chicken gyro made with dark-meat whole cuts.