Taziki’s owner discusses company growth, community action

After a vacation in Greece, Keith Richards and his wife Amy Richards returned to the U.S. and wanted to bring back with them some of the feel of the small Mediterranean cafes at which they dined. That idea was the start of Taziki’s Mediterranean Café, which they opened in 1998, Richards said at the June 1 South Shelby Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

Since opening that first store, which was 1,100 square feet, Taziki’s has grown to 75 stores, with more locations on the way. When they opened their first store, Richards said the goal was to bring the good food and family and community feel they had in cafes in Greece back to the Birmingham area, and that’s something he believes they have maintained.

“That was a testimony of what we were doing in the stores,” he said, noting how quickly the number of Taziki’s grew.

And as the restaurants have grown, Richards said they have aimed to help grow their community involvement as well. Back when there were only three Taziki’s, Shelby County Special Needs Job Coach Cindy Vinson approached Richards about hiring special needs students.

That was how Brandy got started at Taziki’s, where she has now worked for the last 11 years. Soon after Brandy started, Richards asked Vinson for more students, so that they would have two employed at each store.

Then, five years ago, Vinson approached Richards about another opportunity. Special needs students at Vincent High School were starting to grow herbs, Richards said, and he got an idea.

“I said, ‘I know exactly what to do.’ … So the next day, I had a logo already, I created this logo and said, ‘It’s going to be called HOPE — herbs offering personal enrichment,’ and she’s like, ‘I love it,’” Richards said.

He helped establish more herb gardens outside of Vincent High School, where students would grow herbs for the Lee Branch Taziki’s location. Since starting the program, it has grown to Shelby County High School. In addition, schools from the cities of Atlanta and Nashville, as well as the state of Arkansas have approached Richards about starting their own programs.

“It’s kind of like the restaurant Taziki’s, it’s kind of getting bigger and quicker and larger than what we need it to be because we don’t have control over it yet,” Richards said.

But the ultimate goal of HOPE, he said, has nothing to do with growing the restaurant or getting profits. It’s about changing the lives of “children who don’t have the opportunity to do what we’re all doing,” he said.

“It gives them a future, to a degree,” Richards said.

As he has worked with students, Richards has seen them excel and learn more about herbs and gardening, which is an “almost magical” thing to witness.

“At the end of the day, it’s ‘How can we affect somebody’s life?” Richards said.

Following Richards’ speech, Chamber Executive Director April Stone thanked him for his investment in Shelby County. He was also presented with an award from Jefferson State Community College.

David Bobo, director of community and media relations at Jeff State, presented Richards with the “Outstanding Alumnus of the Year” award. The award was announced at an event a few weeks ago, but Richards was unable to attend.

Richards received the award, not just for his business success, Bobo said, but what he has done in the community.

“The part that is [worthy of this award] is the giving part, the giving back,” Bobo said.