Daphne's Greek Cafe Daphne's Greek Cafe Daphne's Greek Cafe or, Daphne's California Greek is a 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. Daphne's was voted Best Greek in the June 2008 issue of San Diego Magazine Daphne's Greek Cafe was founded by George Katakalidis in 1991. The chain entered bankruptcy in January 2010. It currently has 60 locations throughout Arizona and California and was recently purchased out of bankruptcy by an investor group headed
Daphne at the Pythian Games. The name Daphne, in greek Δάφνη, means "laurel. While the story of Daphne is traditionally connected with the bay laurel ("Laurus nobilis"), almost 90 species of evergreen shrubs noted for their scented flowers and poisonous berries are grouped under the genus Daphne—including the garland flower ("Daphne cneorum"); the February Daphne or mezereon ("Daphne mezereum"); and spurge laurel or wood laurel ("Daphne laureola"). These genera are categorized in the family Thymelaeaceae and are native to Asia, Europe and North Africa Artemis Daphnaia, who had her temple among the Lacedemonians, at a place called Hypsoi in antiquity, on