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Glaze delivering teriyaki to the northeast and beyond

Paul Krug, who operates eight Glaze fast casual locations, had one simple goal in mind when he left Seattle: to share his love of teriyaki with those in New York City.

August 17, 2018 by Katie Shipp — intern, networld media group

Seattle native Paul Krug is all about the teriyaki, so it isn't a surprise that when he went looking for a change in his restaurant career, he aimed for an elevated teriyaki concept. 

Founder Paul Krug. Photo by Molly Tavoletti.

The founder of Glaze, a fast casual that launched the first of its eight locations in 2008, and Bluestone Lane (an Aussie-style coffee shop), Krug had one goal when he arrived in New York City in 2004 — to further his career in the restaurant industry, which sprouted Glaze. 

"Teriyaki shops were always a staple in Seattle, and there wasn't anything like that in NYC at the time, so I went for it," Krug told Fast Casual in an email interview.

He obviously went for it the right way given his success and his strategy to change how New Yorkers viewed anything teriyaki — which was essentially viewed as "mall food."

"We keep our menu tight, focused, but really well done. You can still customize and make it yours, but we think the smaller menu sets us apart," he said, explaining why his fast casual concept has caught on with diners. "There are also very few premium and elevated Asian fast casuals in this country. We're definitely one of them and we're continuing to grow."

According to Krug, teriyaki in the Northeast is nearly an "unspoken" culinary offering despite that it makes for a great lunch or dinner.

"I loved the idea of elevating what's being done there with a focus on health sourcing and freshness, here in New York and beyond. At the end of the day, it's all about a great food at an affordable price," he said.

And while there are hundreds of restaurants serving teriyaki in New York, Krug was deeply focused on bringing a unique flavor to his guests.

"We really wanted to elevate what's being done there, so we small batch our sauces, offer a range of protein options (from salmon to tofu to pulled pork), and complement the traditional menu with Japanese-inspired sides."

When it came to the recent revamp of the brand's flagship location, Krug turned to a Brooklyn-based designer, Sweatshop, to emulate the "less is more" approach with a modernist design. Krug wanted the interior to look and feel welcoming and warm while allowing the organic ethos of the brand to shine through. 

Lexington location designed by Sweatshop.

"After I developed Glaze and got it off the ground, I also founded Bluestone Lane, the coffee shop. That experience had a lot of impact on how Glaze has grown as a brand," he shared.

As the brand now has locations in New York, Chicago and San Francisco, Krug's days are more than a bit busy. Glaze is not franchised, but Paul has plans to double the restaurant's national footprint in the next two years by introducing more stores across the country.

"I'm lucky to have an awesome team and our shops really benefit from that," he said, adding that overseeing the Brooklyn location is easiest as he lives close by in Williamsburg 

"So I pop in to make sure everything is running smoothly and might head into the city to do the same with our other NYC shops."

When he's not directing the restaurant business he enjoys spending time in his neighborhood with his son and his dog. 

His advice to future restaurant entrepreneurs is simple. 

"Be original and passionate about anything you do, and be focused on trying to improve your food and your customer experience."