Franchise Deep Dive: Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data

The franchise was born when an American couple visited Greece and wanted to replicate their experience back home.

By Victoria CampisiStaff Writer

Updated 9:09AM • 02/07/24

LAST UPDATED: January 2024

FRANCHISE WEBSITE: https://www.eatandys.com/franchise

NUMBER OF LOCATIONS: nearly 100

REPORTED COST TO GET IN: $555,000 - $1,008,000

REPORTED ROI (Item 19): N/A

Taziki's Mediterranean Café is a Birmingham, Alabama-based restaurant franchise that sells Greek- and Mediterranean-inspired cuisine such as gyros, sandwiches, soups and salads.

How Many Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe Locations Are There?

Taziki's was founded by Keith and Amy Richards in 1997. During a trip to Greece, the couple encountered the vibrant culture of small-table Mediterranean cafes where communities gathered to enjoy healthy meals and celebrate life together. Inspired by the warmth and connection they observed, the Richards decided to bring this experience back home and make it their life mission.

The first Taziki's Cafe was established in 1998 in an effort to replicate an authentic Mediterranean dining experience. The restaurant not only focused on serving Mediterranean cuisine, but also sought to foster a sense of community and connection among its patrons.

Since its founding, Taziki's has expanded across the U.S. through franchising, with a network of nearly 100 locations. In 2023, the brand added nine locations in five states

"Our 2023 was full of new locations and opportunities for Taziki's," CEO Dan Simpson said in a press release. "And in 2024, we're looking forward to an even higher level of accelerated growth and expansion that will enable us to share our Mediterranean flavors with foodies across the country."

The franchise is preparing for geographical expansion in 2024, with franchisees opening stores in Missouri, Iowa and Michigan

What Is the Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe Business Model?

Taziki's operates on a fast-casual business model and is dedicated to serving fresh, approachable and healthy Mediterranean cuisine. The business model revolves around several key principles and strategies aimed at staying ahead of industry trends, optimizing operations, enhancing guest experiences, and ensuring long-term growth. Here's an overview:

Footprint Flexibility: Taziki's offers flexible footprints and designs for its restaurants, allowing them to adapt to various real estate opportunities. This includes legacy models optimized for off-premise dining, scaled-back dining rooms with or without drive-thrus, and smaller formats with a focus on off-premise dining and drive-thru options.

Conversion Experience: Taziki's assists multi-unit or family-owned restaurants with conversion plans, providing a cost-effective alternative to new builds. Taziki's corporate team helps partners in taking existing restaurant spaces and converting them into Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafes, leveraging existing infrastructure and minimizing costs.

Proprietary App: Taziki's constantly improves its technology, particularly its proprietary mobile app, to enhance the guest experience. The revamped app offers an easy way for customers to interact with the brand, facilitates ordering, and drives guest engagement. Taziki's leverages the app to capture marketing data, promote loyalty through its rewards program, and efficiently market to customers.

Delivery Optimization: Taziki's conducted extensive research to determine the most profitable forms of delivery. The company has developed multiple strategies to make delivery transactions profitable for franchisees, leveraging the freshness and quality of its food to ensure customer satisfaction with delivery orders.

Optimized Labor Model: Taziki's focuses on optimizing its labor model to address historical pain points in the hospitality industry, such as staff turnover and labor costs.

Balanced Dayparts: Taziki's adapts its operations to accommodate shifting consumer habits, transitioning from a traditional lunch-heavy brand to a more balanced daypart mix. The introduction of initiatives like Family Feasts has boosted dinner sales, leading to larger tickets and more optimized labor and prep schedules.

Marketing Evolution: Taziki's adopts a nimble approach to marketing, leveraging technology and evolving consumer preferences. This includes initiatives like launching a TikTok account, optimizing ordering platforms, and implementing personalized one-to-one marketing strategies to engage with customers effectively.

Catering: Catering plays a significant role in Taziki's sales, offering a Mediterranean-inspired option for events of various sizes. The company provides convenient online ordering and assistance from catering staff to fulfill diverse catering needs.

How Much Can Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe Owners Make?

Earnings for Taziki’s are not publicly available. You can reach out to Taziki’s Franchising for a Franchise Disclosure Document, which includes details about expected revenue.

How Much Does It Cost To Open a Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe Franchise?

The total investment range to open a Taziki’s franchise is $555,000 - $1,008,000, according to Entrepreneur. There is also a liquid assets requirement of $500,000 and a net worth requirement of $1.5 million.

What Is the Franchise Fee for Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe?

The franchise fee is $35,000.

Who Are the Leaders of Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe?

What Helpful Articles Can I Read to Learn More?

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Every great franchisee had help buying a franchise. Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisees find the right franchise opportunity? Visit www.1851growthclub.com and start your journey.

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