Our People

Culture Index logo with a blue circle and arrow graphics and red text reading "Analytics Over Instincts"

Hire Right

Train Right

The word 'Axonify' in black and green letters with speech bubble icons forming part of the letter 'o' and 'q'.

|

Text reading "GIVING KITCHEN" in bold, stylized font with "GIVING" in orange and "KITCHEN" in blue.

Treat Right

We understand that you are only as good as your people, and we strive to live out our three-part HR goal to “Hire Right, Train Right, Treat Right. Hospitality is at the heart of our business, and you should feel that every time you dine at a Taziki’s. We require our franchise partners to share the same mindset that hospitality and people are what make a successful restaurant.

A circular diagram with five segments, each with a different color, illustrating steps for making extraordinary food and building community. The segments are labeled 'Create Connection,' 'Embrace Challenge,' 'Foster Collaboration,' 'Prioritize Details,' and 'Stay Fresh,' surrounding a central logo with a blue Greek key design.

|

A woman in a blue shirt smiling as she receives a small black cup of food from a person's hand in a cafe or restaurant setting.

Hire RIght

Implementing the Culture Index into our everyday practice has been a difference maker on the People Operations side of the business. We identified the key traits of our highest performers across each role in the company, and now hire with the goal of replicating those key personality traits to have people in the right seat on the bus. What makes a great cashier is totally different from a great grill cook.

Screenshot of a mobile app showing training modules related to Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe, including topics like Taziki's history, store menu categories for sauces and dressings, sweets and drinks, and restaurant financials, each with an image, status as assigned, and 100% average score.

Train Right

We all know that training is critical for initial success. At Taziki’s we celebrate a culture of training that is designed to give each partnership and unit all of the tools needed. The FDD clearly lays out our hiring and training requirements, that we can talk through very thoroughly on calls and at Discovery Day. We have different training paths for franchise owners, owner operators, managers, assistant managers, shift leaders, and hourly employees. It is also our goal to for each market to qualify for a training store to help with people development, and ultimately unit growth.

Our team utilizes Axonify, which is the best-in-class training platform designed to deliver personalized, bite-sized learning to frontline employees, focusing on building knowledge through daily, engaging interactions. It uses AI-driven content and reinforcement techniques to boost retention and performance, ensuring employees receive relevant training that aligns with business goals. The platform also provides real-time insights into employee progress, helping organizations optimize training programs and improve productivity, all with Taziki’s themed and unique programming that tracks everything your employees are learning, and need more time with.

Treat RIght

Culture can make or break an organization, and for Taziki’s it makes us. The culture both at the restaurant level and at the restaurant support center (corporate office) level is second to none. Talk to any of our staff or partners, and they will confirm what it’s like to be part of Taziki’s. Check out the latest highlight video from TazCon24 to get a glimpse of Taziki's Culture.

 MEET THE TAZIKI'S
LEADERSHIP TEAM

KeithHeadshotGreece.jpeg

KEITH RICHARDS

FOUNDER 

Years with Taziki's: 26
Taziki's Office: Birmingham, AL
Favorite Brand Value: Connection

A smiling man with blue eyes, a beard, wearing a navy blazer and a blue dress shirt with white polka dots, in an indoor setting with a blurred background of a potted plant and wooden furniture.

DAN SIMPSON

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Years with Taziki's: 9
Taziki's Office: Nashville, TN
Favorite Brand Value: Fresh

Portrait of a man in a blue suit and light blue shirt smiling, with a blurred background of windows and greenery.

BILLY MAGRUDER

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER 

Years with Taziki's: 12
Taziki's Office: Birmingham, AL
Favorite Brand Value: Details

A smiling african american man in a plaid blazer and collared shirt, standing indoors with large green plants in the background.

Lynn Edwards

VP Human Resources & People Operations

Years with Taziki's: 2
Taziki's Office: Nashville, TN
Favorite Brand Value: Collaboration

Smiling man with dark hair and beard wearing a light blue dress shirt, standing outside near a brick wall and window.

Alex Garmezy

Senior Director of Market Development

Years with Taziki's: 5
Taziki's Office: Nashville, TN
Favorite Brand Value: Collaboration

A smiling woman with shoulder-length curly brown hair, blue eyes, wearing a dark blazer and a statement gold necklace, seated in a warmly decorated room with wooden tables and chairs.

Amy Parman

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF organizational learning & Development

Years with Taziki's: 6
Taziki's Office: Nashville, TN
Favorite Taziki's Value: Collaboration

A woman with dark hair styled in an updo, wearing glasses and a beige cardigan, smiling in front of a nature-themed mural featuring rocks and water.

Jesse Deshield

Years with Taziki's: 10
Taziki's Office: Louisville, KY
Favorite Taziki's Value: Details

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF Ops Excellence

A woman with long blonde hair wearing a dark blue top, standing in front of a brick wall.

Laura Beth Hernandez

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF Accounting

Years with Taziki's: 19
Taziki's Office: Birmingham, AL
Favorite Taziki's Value: Details

A man with dark hair, wearing a blue and white striped shirt, smiling outdoors in front of a brick wall and a window.

Tommy Traynham

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF Technology

Years with Taziki's: 7
Taziki's Office: Birmingham, AL
Favorite Taziki's Value: Challenge