In a year plagued with uncertainty, the Asian-fusion franchise is taking steps to continue to grow and create new business opportunities for entrepreneurs across the United States.
The year 2020 has certainly had its plot twists in the restaurant industry, from the advent of the COVID-19 virus to dramatic fluctuations in the market. The ups and downs, however, have not kept Michael Haith, CEO of Teriyaki Madness, down. If anything, Haith feels more confident than ever in their business model and believes the rapidly growing, fast-casual teriyaki concept has what it takes to finish the year strong. Thanks to their team’s innovative and flexible strategies set in place before and during the pandemic, Teriyaki Madness is taking steps to address curveballs thrown their way and continue their yearly pattern of growth.
For starters, the restaurant franchise positioned itself for success well before the advent of COVID-19 with its technological advances and strong business model. With a dual online and app-supported ordering platform and vital switchboard capacity, Teriyaki Madness was able to successfully service their customers amid heightened demand during the pandemic through varied resources.
“Even pre-Covid, we had a robust technological presence,” said Haith. “Because our food is fresh, hearty, and travels well, we were able to up our game on curbside deliveries, drive-thrus, and other features to meet customer demand for our services nation-wide.”
Though restaurant industry sales have not fully recovered since early March, Teriyaki Madness was up 16% year-over-year in June, and continues to increase in YOY sales. In comparison, full service was down 28% and fast casual was only up 2% year-over-year. Pay-it forward community initiatives, like their most recent Healthcare Teriyaki Bar program, which delivered fully loaded teriyaki spreads to first-responders, have been a standout in demonstrating the franchise’s commitment to the communities they serve.
“These are initiatives that I am not only incredibly proud of, but that our franchisees are proud to bring to their communities,” Haith said. “Our owners are talking about these programs and spreading the word to other folks who themselves are looking to become owners of their own franchise. The number of prospective franchisees and signed deals we have seen since the pandemic hit demonstrates the excitement our franchisees feel for the brand.”
Eight new shops have opened since the beginning of May, including the first of a ten-unit signing in the state of Hawaii, and there are ten more in the pipeline for the upcoming weeks. Teriyaki Madness has made efforts to hire the best talent in the food industry to foster that growth. In addition to expanding its training team by six employees to train new franchisees and open new Teriyaki Madness locations since the onset of the pandemic, the executive team has welcomed Vice President of Franchisee Relations Elizabeth Sapp; Vice President of Finance Joe Cohen; Director of Real Estate, Design and Construction Tom Haro; Director of Supply Chain Chris Webb; and Local Shop Marketing Manager Laura Sporrer. Joe Gordon, formerly Executive Vice President of Logistics, has been promoted to Chief Teriyaki Shop Officer and is responsible for maximizing both the Teriyaki Madness and Restaurant Sherpas business models. Restaurant Sherpas is a new affiliate of Teriyaki Madness, which is poised to streamline business operations and allow for new opportunities among silent investors or franchisees who want to own a Teriyaki Madness, but want Restaurant Sherpas to run the shop’s operations.
“We’re particularly excited about Restaurant Sherpas,” said Haith. “After reviewing surveys from our franchisees, we recognized the varying needs of entrepreneurs that are seeking different levels of involvement in the day-to-day operations of a restaurant franchise. Whether you’re a multi-unit operator pursuing a larger footprint or an entrepreneur who doesn’t want to quit your day job, Restaurant Sherpas is the perfect option for handling the on-site needs of your new business. I think it will really be a leading reason for our success in the COVID era.”
Teriyaki Madness’ innovative programs have certainly aided their survival in the first part of the year and position them to thrive as the pandemic plays out.
Teriyaki Madness, a fast-casual teriyaki shop concept, is committed to unconditionally satisfying guests by offering delicious, made-to-order Teriyaki dishes prepared with fresh, all-natural ingredients served quickly and at a reasonable price in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. The simple menu lets guests choose their protein, type of rice or noodles and desired vegetables for a fully customizable bowl made as healthy as the customer wants. The brand is dedicated to “Spreading the Madness” so everyone can experience the best teriyaki on earth. Teriyaki Madness was recently recognized among Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top Food Franchises of 2019 and was named one of FastCasual’s 2019 Movers and Shakers, and has been named to the Inc. 5000 list for three straight years. Founded in 2003, the brand currently has franchise agreements in place for nearly 250 shops across the U.S. Teriyaki Madness offers franchising opportunities nationwide for their concept to qualified single and multi-unit candidates. For more information, visit www.franchise.teriyakimadness.com or email franchise@teriyakimadness.com.
