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Teriyaki Madness brings on experienced operations team to support young brand

The new team has been put in place to coach owners through the company's launch process, a robust and holistic approach to training and supporting new franchisees, as well as supporting experienced owners in similar ways.

March 8, 2016

In an effort to support organic growth through its current franchisee base, Teriyaki Madness, a Denver-based Asian food concept, has recruited a network of highly-skilled operations support staff, according to a company press release.

The new team, which boasts extensive franchising experience, has been put in place to coach owners through the company's launch process, a robust and holistic approach to training and supporting new franchisees, as well as supporting experienced owners in similar ways, said Michael Haith, CEO, Teriyaki Madness.

"This is by far the most experienced group of people I've ever worked with, and by capitalizing on each of their individual strengths, Teriyaki Madness continues to offer unprecedented franchisee support that you just can't find anywhere else in the industry," he said. "Although we are a relatively young brand, our mature systems and executive staff ensures that our franchisees see a rapid return on investment and encourages them to continue to grow with our brand."

Led by Executive VP of Teriyaki Madness, Erin Hicks, the new Teriyaki Madness operations support team will consist of:

• Rusty Schaffer, director of supply chain: Prior to joining Teriyaki Madness, Schaffer built his career working with Sysco, Einstein Bros. Bagels, and Noodles & Company. As part of the team Schaffer has been tasked with a critical responsibility in the growth of Teriyaki Madness: streamlining national distribution channels. With the growth happening across the U.S., Schaffer will help achieve cost effectiveness on supplies and will make the distribution process as efficient as possible. Schaffer is also instrumental in overseeing Teriyaki Madness' vendor quality assurance programs, Haith said.
• Bobbi Capps, support manager: Capps' experience comes from working as operations training support with Noodles & Company and Old Chicago Through the launch program, Capps supports the owners through one-on-one coaching pre and post opening, including hands-on training prior to open, and business coaching during the revisit process. This side-by-side training helps ensure a positive customer experience, menu items are consistently and deliciously prepared and each owner is set up for success and profitability, Haith said.
• Shanlee Kasson, corporate training manager: Kasson worked for Starbucks and Champps Kitchen & Barr and will help with the on-site team training process conducted prior to opening a Teriyaki Madness for business as part of the launch process. This training system supports all Teriyaki Madness owners and helps ensure a consistent Teriyaki Madness food and service experience is delivered to every customer.
• Eric Richardson, construction manager: Richardson brings a wealth of experience garnered as construction manager at Maui Wowi to assist in the process of finding ways to accelerate the construction timeline and is helping all franchisees that join Teriyaki Madness reduce construction cost where possible and facilitate brand consistency of all locations, Haith said.
• Tyler Antikainen, communications manager: After excelling in multiple student government communication positions at Metropolitan State University of Denver, Antikainen brings extensive contemporary experience to the task of developing the multiple channels of company communications, Haith said. He is responsible for managing and developing new and existing internal communication processes. Moving forward, he will create content and develop new channels for delivering messages to every level of Teriyaki Madness.

The new operations team places an emphasis on strong pre and post-opening support. With six new Teriyaki Madness locations already opening in Q1 of 2016, the team has their work cut out for them, Haith said. During an owner's launch program, they will interact with every facet of the home office support team, from real estate and construction to training and marketing.

In addition to on-site operations training that occurs prior to opening, the operations team will re-visit the new location within the first 30 days to ensure the franchisee is fully equipped with all of the tools and guidance they need to be successful, followed by quarterly business reviews to discuss goals and daily operations for the location. The program is completely personalized and guarantees each franchisee receives the individual attention they need.

"The Teriyaki Madness corporate support team is extremely knowledgeable and well-versed in the fast casual dining industry, and they provided me with the highest quality training and operational direction I needed to get my business off the ground," said Kevin Gordon, owner of Teriyaki Madness of Indianapolis. "From the initial business review to the continuous check-in process, I was given encouraging and positive feedback on how to go above and beyond to be successful in my community."

The chain has experienced double-digit same-store sales increases for six of the last seven years through supporting organic system growth. The new, focused team will help continue this trend by supporting the healthy and growing franchise base already in place, of which 49 percent is comprised by multi-unit owners and owners looking to open additional units in 2016, Haith said.