Loizon developed the chain's recipes in her own basement, using a machine for making souvlaki meat which her uncle had purchased, and sauce inspired by her mother's recipes for yogurt.

[2] This number had shrunk by 1999 to 28 stores in four states, although one of the earliest in St. Clair Square in Fairview Heights, Illinois remained open at the time.

[3] In June 2015, Olga's Kitchen filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

[6] A 2006 review of the Lansing Mall location in the Lansing State Journal described the chain's signature sandwich, the Original Olga, as "a hearty sandwich that is tasty and quite filling."

The sandwich, served on the Olga bread, features broiled beef and lamb, onions, tomatoes, and a yogurt-based sauce called Olga Sauce.