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Private company

Daphne's Greek Cafe

Logo: Daphne's Greek Cafe, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons3

Restaurant chain in California, US

Daphne's Greek Cafe or, Daphne's California Greek, is an American fast-casual Greek restaurant operating in California. The restaurant name refers to Daphne of Greek mythology whom the god Apollo desired. Daphne's was rated #11 in 2006 Top 100 Movers and Shakers in the Fast Casual magazine.2 It is headquartered in Carlsbad.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1991Founded1

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Daphne's Greek Cafe or, Daphne's California Greek, is an American fast-casual Greek restaurant operating in California. The restaurant name refers to Daphne of Greek mythology whom the god Apollo desired.2

The story

Daphne's Greek Cafe was founded by George Katakalidis in 1991. The chain entered bankruptcy in January 2010. It had 60 locations throughout Arizona and California and was purchased out of bankruptcy by an investor group headed by William Trefethen. In 2011, Daphne's name changed to Daphne's California Greek with a new concept that has been characterized as: a “hybrid” of California-meets-Greek cuisine, with an emphasis on freshness.

Daphne's California Greek continued their re-branding effort under William Trefethen group for about four years before suddenly selling the company to a Chicago investment group named Victory Park Capital.

In early 2024, all remaining locations in Orange County and San Diego County closed. As of April 2024, only six locations remain; five locations are in Southern California and one is in the Sacramento area. They are Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Redondo Beach, Temecula, Ontario, and Roseville.

From Wikipedia’s article on Daphne's Greek Cafe, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Timeline

  1. 1991Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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