Taziki's

When Keith Richards and his wife, Amy, returned from a three-week holiday across the Greek islands, Keith channeled his newfound passion for the flavors, culture and vibe of Greece into a new restaurant concept.

What they thought was just a touristy adventure across the pond – a trip they took on a shoestring budget thanks to Amy’s perks as a US Airways employee – instead became their American Dream realized.

And today we have Taziki’s as evidence.

“We really had no agenda when we landed,” Richards said. “We just rented a mo-ped, drove around and ate at the local gyro stands. We’d grab a bottle of wine, feta cheese and just sit and watch the sunset.”

Richards said they met a couple who owned a nearby restaurant, and he and Amy ate there several times. Richards loved what the couple was doing with the lamb, and it became an inspiration for him.

After their return stateside, Keith and Amy started discussing in earnest the possibility of launching their own business. Most importantly, they backed up that talk with action.  Guided by Amy with assistance from her mom, they completed extensive research and recipe testing.

Prior to the launch of Taziki’s, Keith had worked for nearly a decade under Frank Stitt as manager of Bottega Café. When Keith shared the Taziki’s plan with his longtime employer, he found resounding support.

“He was really proud of me,” Richards said. “He told me, ‘The way you work, I wouldn’t be surprised if I see 100 Taziki’s.’”

In 1998, Keith and Amy opened their first store at the Colonnade off of Highway 280.

“This was before the Mediterranean kick was coming out,” Richards said. “The town was flooded with new concepts and the market was oversaturated with different stores, but we did have something different. We were offering white tablecloth food without the white tablecloth price.”

When researching the name, Keith and Amy poured over the prints from the 30 rolls of film they filled while abroad. When Keith found a picture of his bride pointing to a menu board that read “Tzatziki,” they knew they’d found their name.

“We chopped it up and Americanized the spelling so we rednecks could pronounce it,” he said.

Interesting side note: Each piece of artwork you see in Taziki’s restaurants is a personal shot captured by Keith during the couple’s three-week sojourn.

Today, Taziki’s has increased its footprint to include more than 20 stores in the Southeast.

To other would-be entrepreneurs, Keith’s advice is simple:

“Do a lot of research, and follow what you think God’s plan is for you. The restaurant business is the hardest business to get into. If someone wants to get in the business, they can come to work for me first and see how they like it. I get a lot of kids that come in through the culinary schools, and they come in, work for me and find out it’s not what they had planned.

 “You have to know the answer to this question: What are you going to be able to give the people that they are not getting now?”

Taziki’s Friday Special, anyone?