EPISODE · Feb 9, 2026 · 18 MIN
Fear Is a Clue, Not a Crutch with Dan Simpson of Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe
from Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates · host Ovation
Send us Fan MailZack Oates sits down with Dan Simpson, CEO of Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe, for a wide ranging conversation on leadership, fear, and building a truly people centered restaurant brand. Dan shares his unconventional path from founding a tech company to leading a growing hospitality brand and explains why technology should exist to remove friction, not replace human connection.They discuss how fear can serve as a signal instead of a blocker, why consistency has become the new luxury for guests, and how listening to feedback at scale helps operators fix broken processes instead of blaming people.Zack and Dan discuss: Fear as a leadership signal Why consistency builds trust Using technology to amplify hospitality Listening to every guest Fixing systems instead of peopleThanks, Dan!Links:https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-simpson-8aa1bb3/https://www.linkedin.com/company/taziki's-mediterranean-cafe/https://www.tazikis.com/
What this episode covers
Send us Fan Mail Zack Oates sits down with Dan Simpson, CEO of Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe, for a wide ranging conversation on leadership, fear, and building a truly people centered restaurant brand. Dan shares his unconventional path from founding a tech company to leading a growing hospitality brand and explains why technology should exist to remove friction, not replace human connection. They discuss how fear can serve as a signal instead of a blocker, why consistency has become the new lu...
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Fear Is a Clue, Not a Crutch with Dan Simpson of Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe
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