Franchising

Teriyaki Madness opens in Canada

Provided

July 23, 2021

Teriyaki Madness is now serving Canadians from a store in Lethbridge, Alberta, which opened Thursday marking the chain's third international location.

The Denver-based brand also has two units in Mexico and, by year's end, will add 45 to 50 open shops throughout North America.

Kunal Thakur, a native of India, who worked in Nigeria for 11 years for a Kellogg brand before settling with his family in Alberta, is behind the Canadian expansion and will open a second store in the near future, according to a company press release.

Looking for a business opportunity, Thakur noticed that while there was the same old list of franchises selling burgers and sandwiches, there was a gap in the marketplace. There was nothing quick, healthy and different and he knew if he found the right brand, it would do well in the market.

Then, fate intervened. Or actually, hunger intervened. One day, while on a day trip to Great Falls, Montana with his family, Thakur happened upon a Teriyaki Madness shop for lunch. Something clicked.

"The quality was so different from other places we have tried," Thakur said in the release. "We could taste the freshness, but we could see it, too. I thought, 'This is exactly what I'm looking for.' So I called the team in Denver and found out about bringing the brand to Canada."

Michael Haith, Teriyaki Madness CEO, called the Canadian expansion a milestone, and said he was lucky to find a partner like Thakur.

"He has experience working with major companies, enthusiasm for the Teriyaki Madness brand but most of all, he gets that we're delivering something different to our customers," he said in the release.

The chain has 102 locations.