DENVER, May 1, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Growing outside of your home base is no easy feat for a restaurant brand, but expanding successfully is even tougher. Teriyaki Madness, a fast-casual Asian restaurant concept, has proved just the opposite with the recent openings in Colorado and Arkansas.
Seattle natives, Rod Arreola, his brother Eric and cousin Alan grew up eating teriyaki and the love for the tasty sauce lead them to Las Vegas to try their hand at entrepreneurship. There, in 2003, the trio opened their first Teriyaki Madness location. 11 years and eight locations later, expansion was top of mind, but skeptics said the brand would face many challenges outside its home base. Proving doubters wrong, Teriyaki Madness teamed with the professionals at Franchise Sherpas and moved its company headquarters to Colorado. They just opened the first location outside of Vegas. The Denver opening proved the brand would succeed outside of its original market by exceeding their wildest sales expectations. A few weeks later, at the beginning of April, the quick service restaurant franchise expanded its footprint again, heading south with a record breaking opening in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
These recent openings have fired up the company's overall expansion plans and so far, have exceeded all expectations, starting with the Jonesboro location's record setting volume sales during their grand opening day. In addition to record volume sales, year to date, the Asian food franchise has seen an impressive 17.6 percent increase in same store sales year over year, crushing the QSR franchise industry average by nearly 400 percent. The company has achieved these incredible numbers by simplifying the menu and introducing best practices that have contributed to the robust unit-level economics.
"When my brother, cousin and I started Teriyaki Madness in 2003, we knew we had something special," said Rod Arreola, co-founder and CEO of Teriyaki Madness. "The success of our two Las Vegas locations and the other six franchised locations gave us the confidence and knowledge that the concept would succeed in other markets and the recent opening of Denver and Jonesboro confirmed those thoughts."
The Asian food franchise is in the midst of a growth spurt that includes the two recent openings along with agreements for 24 new locations in California and several more units to open in Colorado and Texas in early 2014. Since partnering last year with Franchise Sherpas, a franchise incubator and development company, the fresh Asian grill franchise is on pace to open a projected 100 new locations across the United States by 2016. The partnership has helped create a culture conducive to successful multi-unit ownership.
"The success of these locations proves consumers are embracing the 'Madness' and as we expand into additional markets like Denver, Pasadena and Austin, we are excited to see our model continue to thrive," added Arreola.
Teriyaki Madness appeals to potential franchisees seeking an alternative to traditional fast-casual opportunities such as pizza, burgers and subs. With made-to-order entrees featuring signature sauces, fresh vegetables and 100 percent real ingredients, the fresh Asian grill serves healthier, hearty, protein-packed portions that leave guests fully satisfied.
Started by three aspiring entrepreneurs who wanted to launch a teriyaki concept similar to their favorites back home in Seattle, Teriyaki Madness is looking to build upon the brand's 10 profitable locations in Las Vegas, Denver and Jonesboro. For more information on this restaurant franchise opportunity, visit www.TeriyakiMadness.com.
About Teriyaki Madness
Founded in 2003 and franchising since 2005, Teriyaki Madness is a fast casual Asian restaurant concept started in Las Vegas, Nevada committed to unconditionally satisfying our guests by offering delicious, made to order Teriyaki dishes prepared with fresh ingredients that are served quickly, at a reasonable price in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. We will "Spread the Madness" spirit and concept so that everybody can experience the best teriyaki on earth.