Taziki’s Mediterranean Café is an American fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in Greek and Mediterranean cuisine, including gyros, sandwiches, salads, and soups. The company is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, and operates more than 100 locations across 18 U.S. states through a mix of corporate and franchise-owned restaurants.

In 1997, Keith and Amy Richards took a trip to Greece.^[1]

While they were there, they stumbled across a small cafe run by a Greek couple.  Keith and Amy fell in love with the small-table feel, the fresh food and the culture of hospitality.

Keith would later reflect, "This is what I want to do. This is what I want to be, this is how I want to get there."^[2]

Upon their return, Keith began plans to open his own Mediterranean café in the Richards' hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. While searching for a name, the Richards looked back on the pictures that Keith had taken, and found one of Amy standing next to a menu board. On the board it read "tzatziki", a traditional Greek dip. In order to make it easier for their customers, they dropped two letters to form the name Taziki's.^[3]

The first Taziki's opened in March 1998^[4] in the Colonnade Office Park in Birmingham. It was met with positive reviews and early success, prompting the Richards to open two other stores in Birmingham.

Taziki's Mediterranean Café emphasizes fresh, minimally processed, Mediterranean-inspired cuisine prepared fresh daily. Most proteins are grilled over an open flame, vegetables are chopped daily and served fresh or roasted, and the majority of sauces, dressings, and sides are made from scratch in house. The company promotes its cooking method as "crafted, not processed" and highlights the absence of fryers and microwaves as a core operational distinction.

Central to the brand identity is a food philosophy built on "ingredients you can trust".^[5] Dishes are designed to showcase simple, high-quality components, extra-virgin olive oil, fresh herbs, lemon juice, and seasonal produce, with minimal complexity. All proteins are prepared fresh for the customer, vegetables are sourced from regional farmers when possible and prepared daily.

Signature Mediterranean ingredients, including Greek olive oil, Kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, and select spices are imported from the regions where they are traditionally grown.^[6]

Key imported ingredients include:^[7]

• Greek olive oil
• lemon juice
• sea salt
• Kalamata olives from Greece
• Roasted red peppers from Turkey
• Basmati rice from India

The chain maintains long-standing partnerships with American family farmers for produce and lamb, Hellas Bakery for traditional baklava, and Mediterranean Bread Company for pita bread.^[8]

Signature options include the Greek Salad, Mediterranean Salad and Caesar Salad. The Caesar is prepared in a traditional style, while the Mediterranean salad features garbanzo beans, roasted red peppers, onions, and pecans. The Greek salad includes olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, and pepperoncinis.

Customizable grilled-protein plates served with a choice of salad and one side. Protein choices include grilled chicken, grilled beef tenderloin, grilled lamb, grilled salmon, grilled shrimp, grilled chicken kebabs, and griddled falafel. Sides include basmati rice, roasted new potatoes, grilled vegetables, fresh-cut fruit, and tomato-cucumber salad.^[9]

Grilled proteins wrapped in warm pita. Notable items include the classic grilled lamb gyro and the chicken basil-pesto gyro. Returning to the menu in 2026 is the traditional Street Gyro made with shaved beef & lamb.^[10]

These bowl-style entrées feature a base of basmati rice, quinoa, or penne pasta with parmesan topped with grilled vegetables, choice of protein, Taziki and harissa sauce.^[11]

Kypelos were introduced as an LTO (limited time offering) in 2025 with the tag line "It's How We Say Bowls"^[12] and made permanent in 2026.

Taziki's appetizers include house-made hummus, Taziki dip with soft or baked pita chips, grilled vegetables, and whipped feta.

Traditional baklava from Hellas Bakery and freshly baked chocolate-chip or lemon cookies.^[13]

Taziki's began franchising in 2013, expanding the brand beyond Alabama.^[14] Growth initially focused on the Southeastern United States before extending into regions such as Texas, Colorado, and Florida.^[15] By 2025, the brand had more than 100 locations across 18 states.^[16]

Dan Simpson, who has served as CEO since 2018,^[17] has overseen the company’s expansion strategy, emphasizing unit economics, franchise development, menu innovation, and digital ordering. Current^[when?] priorities include expansion into the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southwest regions.^[18]

Taziki's operates under a franchise model combining corporate oversight with locally owned restaurants. Franchisees manage daily operations, while the company provides menu development, training, marketing, and supply-chain services.^[19]

Franchise owners pay a 4% royalty fee and a 0.75%^[20] national marketing fee that support brand-wide advertising and digital marketing initiatives.

The initial franchise fee is $35,000,^[21] with discounted pricing for multi-unit development agreements.

As of November 2025, estimated start-up costs range from $555,000 to $1.01 million.^[22]

To qualify for a franchise, candidates must meet the following criteria:^[23]

• Minimum net worth of $1.5 million
• Minimum liquid capital of $500,000
• Experience in restaurant operations, preferably multi-unit
• Alignment with company hospitality and operational standards

Taziki's uses a "speed-scratch" kitchen model, preparing menu items daily from fresh ingredients while streamlining back-of-house systems for efficiency.

Many Taziki's locations offer dine-in, takeout, catering, and digital ordering services.^[24] Menu preparation emphasizes fresh vegetables, grilled proteins, and house-made sauces, consistent with Mediterranean diet principles.^[25]

The company uses technology systems including Square for Restaurants for point-of-sale operations, Restaurant365 for restaurant management, Kalibrate for real-estate analytics, and Axonify for digital training.^[26] Management training includes an eight-week program for franchise operators.^[27]

Corporate headquarters in Birmingham oversees menu development, training, marketing, and procurement. Franchise support includes field visits, performance evaluations, and access to national and regional vendor partnerships.

Taziki's participates in community outreach through local partnerships, school programs, and charitable initiatives. Its HOPE (Herbs Offering Personal Enrichment) program provides employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities, supporting herb cultivation and culinary-related activities.^[28]

The company also partners with organizations such as The Giving Kitchen,^[29] which provides assistance to food-service workers in need. Many franchise locations engage in local nonprofit collaborations.^[30]

• List of casual dining restaurant chains
• List of Greek restaurants

• Official website