Taziki’s Mediterranean Café Opens in Highlands Ranch: Now Serving the Denver Market with Two Locations
Late December 2025 marked an exciting milestone for Taziki’s Mediterranean Café: our newest restaurant is now open in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. This opening is more than a “now open” announcement. It’s a great example of what we look for in high-performing markets, what makes our brand special, and why more entrepreneurs are exploring Taziki’s as a Mediterranean restaurant franchise opportunity.
If you’re researching the best Mediterranean restaurant franchise (or simply a strong fast casual franchise with real operational support), this new Highlands Ranch location tells a powerful story about the largest franchise brand in Mediterranean cuisine.
A Highlands Ranch Conversion Built for Strong, Everyday Demand
This new Taziki’s restaurant is a restaurant conversion in the well-established community of Highlands Ranch. At approximately 3,200 square feet, the layout supports the multiple revenue streams Taziki’s is known for: dine-in, takeout, and catering. With no fryers or microwaves in any locations, the food is known for its exceptional ability to travel well.
Highlands Ranch also checks several boxes we love to see in a trade area:
Strong residential density with customer profiles that align with Taziki’s core audience
Nearby hospitals and medical hubs. This is a major tailwind for lunch, group orders, and catering. Many medical sales reps around the country cater Taziki’s to different offices multiple times per week because it’s a crowd pleaser for the staff, and reliable for the buyer.
A community where guests are actively looking for fresh, healthy, craveable food served quickly, without sacrificing hospitality.
For franchise candidates, this is a real-world example of how site selection and demand drivers work together to support a sustainable restaurant business.
Meet the Owner-Operator: Stefan Dzara (10+ Years with Taziki’s)
What makes this opening especially meaningful is the leader behind it: Stefan Dzara, a Taziki’s owner-operator who has been with the brand for more than a decade.
Stefan is known across the system for two things that matter most in restaurants:
Outstanding, consistent food quality.
A guest-first hospitality style with “a smile that lights up the room” is how people describe it.
That combination, operational discipline plus genuine warmth, is exactly what Taziki’s is built on. It’s also why we believe the best growth happens when great operators lead the way in great markets.
A fun extra connection: Stefan’s wife, Abby, also works with Taziki’s by supporting the brand in the technology department. That shared commitment says a lot about the culture we work hard to protect: a brand with a soul, backed by real systems.
A Pre-Opening Playbook That Leaned into Local Influencers
Every market is different, and the best operators know how to build local buzz authentically. For Highlands Ranch, Stefan leaned into social media influencers more heavily in the pre-opening process than any store has before, creating early awareness and giving the community a reason to try Taziki’s from day one. Stefan was supported by the Taziki’s marketing team with boots on the ground to help capture the event.
This matters for modern franchise development: today’s strongest openings blend solid operations with smart local marketing, and the best results come when both are executed well.
Yes… It Might Be the Best Patio View in the System
We’ve opened a lot of restaurants (100+ Taziki’s locations and counting) and this one is already getting a reputation for something unexpected…
An unofficial title for the most beautiful patio view in the entire Taziki’s system.
Hospitality should feel good. Places should feel inviting. A great patio doesn’t just look nice, it creates repeat visits, longer stays, and a restaurant experience that becomes part of someone’s weekly rhythm. Highlands Ranch locals will now get to enjoy a fresh summer salad with grilled chicken kabobs in the warm Denver summer, and that famous lemon-chicken soup for those crisp fall evenings. Freshly made hummus with baked pita, a glass of wine, and great conversation is what Taziki’s is all about!
Is the Denver Market in the Main Footprint of the Taziki’s Brand and Future Expansion?
Taziki’s still maintains its strongest geographical presence in the Southeast after its founding in Birmingham, AL, nearly 30 years ago. As the brand looks towards the 120-unit mark, westward growth is ready to happen. The Denver market is currently the furthest west, but qualified franchise prospects in this part of the country should be empowered to inquire.
In addition to westward growth, Taziki’s continues to fill in the Southeast, grow in the Midwest, push into the Mid-Atlantic, and add more units in the Texas and Oklahoma markets.
What This Opening Says About the Taziki’s Franchise Opportunity
Highlands Ranch represents what franchise candidates are looking for right now: a healthy fast casual concept with staying power, a brand people trust, and an operating model designed to scale.
Here’s what often stands out to serious operators evaluating a restaurant franchise opportunity for a “better-for-you brand”:
A proven, craveable menu rooted in the Mediterranean way of eating
Operational systems that support consistency and strong execution
Multiple revenue channels, including catering (especially powerful near hospitals and offices)
A brand story with heart, hospitality, community, and real people behind the counter
Momentum in high-quality markets where guests demand fresh, modern food
If you’re exploring franchise options and asking, “What is the best Mediterranean restaurant franchise?”, it’s worth looking closely at brands that combine culture + operations because you need both to win long term. Many Greek or Mediterranean brands look identical without their logo… Taziki’s is a brand worth exploring.
Interested in Bringing Taziki’s to Your Market?
If you’re a qualified individual or group looking for a Mediterranean restaurant franchise with a loyal guest base, strong unit-level potential, and a brand built on genuine hospitality, we’d love to connect.
Explore the Taziki’s franchise opportunity and learn what it takes to bring a Taziki’s to your community by visiting our franchise website.
Taziki’s FAQ
Is Taziki’s a good franchise?
Taziki’s is a strong option for qualified operators seeking a fast casual franchise with a differentiated menu, multiple revenue streams (including catering), and a hospitality-forward brand supported by operational systems.
What makes a Mediterranean restaurant franchise different from other fast casual brands?
Mediterranean concepts often benefit from strong demand for fresh, health-forward food, broad menu appeal, and frequent occasions…lunch, family dinner, and group catering without relying on heavy discounting.
Is Taziki’s the right investment for everyone?
Taziki’s is not the ideal restaurant for anyone or everyone. If you are looking for a passive investment that just brings in “mailbox money,” then Taziki’s is not the right choice for you. Opening up a restaurant with fresh food is never easy, but our scalable, operations-driven approach makes it a great brand. Taziki’s performs best when local ownership is present in the community and in the restaurants to make sure it’s running smoothly. Most serious restaurateurs who have scaled with a brand before will recognize this as critical.
Why does being near hospitals matter for a restaurant?
Hospitals and medical centers can drive steady weekday traffic and are often strong catering and group-order customers, especially for brands that serve fresh, high-quality meals that travel well. Other top-performing co-tenants include high-end grocery, boutique fitness, and women’s shopping.
What is a restaurant “conversion”?
A conversion is when a new restaurant opens in an existing restaurant space. Conversions can shorten timelines and reduce risk by using proven retail locations with existing traffic patterns. They are often less expensive to open due to some restaurant infrastructure already in place. At Taziki’s, we take great pride in helping franchise partners achieve a beautiful conversion while still maintaining the Taziki’s brand standards of a build-out.