Inside Taziki’s 2026 Franchise and Marketing Summits
At Taziki’s, we’ve always believed that the heart of Mediterranean hospitality isn't just about serving delicious, fresh food; it’s about bringing people together. That belief was on full display at our 2026 Franchise and Marketing Summits, where leadership, operators, franchisees, and marketers gathered under one roof to align, inspire, and plan for the bright future ahead.
(L to R: Founder Keith Richards, Franchisees Gavin O’Neill and Lisa Wilkins, Franchise Success Manager Curt Ullery and Franchisee Jamie Riddle enjoy a break at the Taziki’s 2026 Marketing Summit)
The Franchise Summit: Fueling Expansion Through Profitability
The central theme of this year’s Franchise Summit was clear: Profitability as a catalyst for expansion.
With the addition of our new Chief Operating Officer, John Ishmael, Taziki’s is placing a renewed emphasis on unit-level profitability. Taziki’s has taken a disciplined, cost-accounting approach to restaurant operations- giving our franchise owners the tools they need to optimize margins while maintaining our high standard of quality.
To support our operators on every step of their growth journey, the summit featured sessions led by key leaders across the system, including:
Franchise Success Managers sharing hands-on operational strategies.
CMO Patty Trevino detailing how marketing drives top-line sales to support bottom-line growth.
Sr. Directors of Franchise Operations & Innovations, Operations Excellence, and Market Development walking through operational efficiencies, menu innovation, and site selection tactics.
By mastering profitability at the store level, we set the stage for sustainable, system-wide expansion.
The Marketing Summit: Aligning the Brand & Amplifying Our Voice
Aligned right alongside our operational push, the Marketing Summit brought marketers from across the system together to refine our voice and brand impact.
Led by CMO Patty Trevino and the RSC Marketing team, these sessions focused on unified brand positioning, fresh creative directions, and practical, scalable marketing strategies.
Marketers walked away with actionable best practices across key growth drivers:
Targeted Local Media: Maximizing ROI through regional and digital ad buys.
Engaging Social Media: Building authentic connections with guests and helping broadcast their voice by promoting user-generated content (UGC).
Grassroots Community Marketing: Strengthening local partnerships and brand loyalty right in our neighborhoods.
The True Magic: Connection in the Margins
While the structured sessions provided invaluable strategies, the most impactful moments often happened betweenpresentations.
At Taziki’s, the primary element of our Cultural Compass is Connection. Hosting these summits is an essential investment in our people: giving operators, franchisees, and corporate team members the space to sit down together, share tactics, discuss challenges, and build real relationships. By investing in these relationships, we ensure that as Taziki’s grows, the relationship-driven culture that defines us remains as strong as ever.
Looking Ahead
We left this year’s summits with sharper tools, a unified marketing vision, and a renewed commitment to profitability. But more than anything, we left connected. Armed with these strategies and a strong community of leaders, Taziki’s is ready for an extraordinary chapter of growth.
If you’re interested in growing your ownership portfolio, reach out to us at (205) 855-2654. A Taziki’s Development team member is happy to speak with you.
