TL;DR
Taziki's Mediterranean Café held its annual conference, TazCon, at the Omni Frisco at The Star, featuring keynote speakers and awarding top-performing restaurants and vendors. The company announced two new initiatives, a mobile app and a fundraiser for The Giving Kitchen.
The conference held at the Omni Frisco at The Star featured two dynamic keynote speakers — former Tennessee Titans Coach Jeff Fisher, who shared insights on building teams that perform at the highest level, and memory expert Ron White, who challenged attendees to sharpen focus as a tool for professional growth. In addition, breakout sessions included Bill Black, former CMO of Scooter’s Coffee, discussing customer service at the “last four feet,” and Tim Ryan, retired Dallas FOX morning anchor, offering guidance on media readiness for operators representing the brand on-air.
The awards dinner held at The Star, worldwide headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys, honored exceptional accomplishments with highlights including:
Founder’s Award – Presented to Jona Ford, who has strengthened the Richmond, Virginia, market and opened a high-performing new unit in Roanoke.
Marketing Vendor of the Year – The Coca-Cola Company
Food Vendor of the Year – Olympia Foods
Distributor of the Year – Distributor Market Advantage (DMA)
Tech Vendor of the Year – Square
In addition to these marquee honors, top-performing restaurants and teams were recognized for achievements in sales, catering and guest satisfaction, including:
Top Catering Sales (Corporate) – Nashville, West End
Top Catering Sales (Franchise) – Athens, Prince Avenue
Excellence in Guest Response – Birmingham, Gardendale
Top Sales (Corporate) – Birmingham, Mountain Brook
Top Sales (Franchise) – Huntsville, Whitesburg Road
Highest Franchise Multi-Unit Sales – Arkansas Market
“TazCon is where strategy, recognition and innovation intersect,” said Dan Simpson, CEO of Taziki’s Mediterranean Café. “This year’s event reflected the caliber of leaders and partners across our industry, and the momentum being built that will carry us into the next phase of growth with focus and combined strength."
Taziki’s also announced two major initiatives during the event — a new mobile app launching in 2026 to enhance digital engagement, and a November guest-facing fundraiser in support of The Giving Kitchen, a nonprofit that assists food service workers in times of crisis.
In this story
This story was originally published in Franchising.com on October 3, 2025. Burnaze summarizes and links to the original reporting.
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