Marlin and Brandi McClure, the husband-and-wife franchisee duo behind the signing, will help the Seattle-style teriyaki brand expand its footprint in the area with hopes to open three shops by 2025.
People of Charlotte, meet your new favorite small business owners: The husband-and-wife, superstar, ultra-cool, wow-they’re-so-dreamy team of Marlin and Brandi McClure have signed on with Teriyaki Madness, the Seattle-style teriyaki shop, to open three locations in the North Carolina market. The McClures have big plans to introduce the brand’s menu of high-quality, craveable teriyaki bowls to The Queen City with fresh ingredients, a healthy approach to quick-serve and an energetic shop atmosphere created by its fun-loving team behind the counter.
And the McClures certainly aren’t newbies when it comes to restaurant franchises and business ownership. Marlin brings 25 years of experience in the restaurant segment, where he managed several Buffalo Wild Wings locations in the southeast, and his wife Brandi has experience running a successful retail business of her own.
“We were at a point in life where we just wanted to do our own thing while also sticking to what we know,” said Marlin. “Since I have been in the restaurant industry forever and my wife had experience running her own business, we knew we wanted to open a new and exciting restaurant in the Charlotte area. When we were doing our research, we were immediately drawn to Teriyaki Madness and fell in love with the brand and the food.”
As two savvy entrepreneurs, the McClures say they could also tell right away the Teriyaki Madness franchise opportunity was a winner.
“They focus on things that sell really well and that guests really love, and the limited menu isn’t cluttered,” said Marlin. “The quality of the food itself was also a big factor – it is a fresh product. We could also tell we would have a lot of support from talking to franchisees and doing research – the support of the home office is top-notch. It is a small company, but it doesn’t run like a small company.”
Additionally, Marlin says he knew the Charlotte community and Teriyaki Madness were a match made in teriyaki bowl heaven. “Charlotte is a big, growing area, and there are a lot of people moving here from the Northeast and Northwest,” he said. “Also, when you look at some of the Asian style brands or food concepts, there really isn’t anything that is structured and organized in the way that Teriyaki Madness is, which is why we think we will do extremely well. We know restaurants can do it better, and we are excited to bring in that expertise and process that comes with the Teriyaki Madness franchise.”
Looking ahead, the McClures hope to open all three of their locations by 2025. “When it comes to our overall goal for business ownership, it is all about working for ourselves and creating a legacy for our kids,” said Marlin.
By the end of 2021, Teriyaki Madness will have added 30 open shops throughout North America and another 40 new franchisees to its system. In Q3 alone, the brand signed a whopping 18 new locations between eight new franchisees as it continues providing its signature mouth-watering teriyaki bowls to a loyal and growing fanbase.
“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Marlin and Brandi to the Teriyaki Madness family,” said Michael Haith, CEO of Teriyaki Madness. “With their combined restaurant and business ownership experience, we are confident they will be great partners as we continue to expand our footprint and deliver something different to the customers of Charlotte.”
Fast-casual teriyaki shop franchise Teriyaki Madness is committed to unconditionally satisfying guests by offering delicious, made-to-order, healthy (or not) bowls, apps and sides, prepared with fresh, all-natural ingredients served quickly and at a reasonable price. Guests can enjoy their bowls in the shop, or order through the mobile app for delivery or curbside pickup. Teriyaki Madness has been ranked on Entrepreneur’s Top Food Franchises, FastCasual’s Movers and Shakers in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, the Inc. 5000 list for three straight years, and was named the fastest-growing restaurant chain in the United States by Restaurant Business in 2021. Founded in 2003, the brand currently has more than 100 shops open, with franchising opportunities nationwide for qualified single and multi-unit candidates. For more information, visit www.franchise.teriyakimadness.com.
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