Leaving Competitors in the Dust With Stronger Same-Store Sales, Traffic & Expansion Momentum
Systemwide sales climbed nearly 31% – more than triple the category pace – with 12 new locations opened and existing operators hitting the gas on franchise growth
Other fast casual brands are simply hoping for a good quarter. Teriyaki Madness (TMAD) just had one – again. The Seattle-style teriyaki franchise with 215 locations across 41 states is continuing its strong 2026 run in the second quarter, with nearly 31% year-over-year systemwide sales growth, and expansion efforts fueled by customers increasingly demanding the high-quality proteins, fresh vegetables and delicious sauces TMAD has served for 20 years – further widening the gap between this explosive brand and the rest of the category.Teriyaki Madness Leaves Fast Casual Competitors in the Dust With Stronger Same-Store Sales, Traffic and Expansion Momentum
TMAD opened 12 shops during the quarter and entered Mississippi for the first time with two new restaurants, keeping it on pace to reach nearly 250 open locations by the end of the year. Fitting, seeing as it’s America’s 250th – expanding like it’s trying to serve every last bowl at the anniversary party.
Our Franchisee Network Continues to Grow
Growth continues to be driven by operators expanding their footprints, with another seven new franchisees signing agreements for 11 future locations. Two of those franchise groups joined through TMAD’s hospitality discount incentive program, which rewards experienced restaurant, retail and hospitality operators who’ve spent years serving their communities and are ready to build something of their own or expand their portfolio with a brand that values that experience.
Among those new franchisees are Rutul Patel and operating partner Dip Patel, who bring backgrounds in retail and hospitality operations in the Marietta region. The pair joined the system after years running businesses, including liquor stores, gas stations and deli operations.
Also joining are Dilip and Bhimsen Khadka, a father-son team with years of franchise experience at Subway and Mountain Mike’s Pizza. The pair saw an opportunity to diversify their portfolio with a concept they knew would be a differentiator in the San Leandro (CA) market.
Consistent Expansion from Our Existing Owners
The pipeline is also being reinforced by existing operators. Manan Patel opened his first two locations earlier this year and is scheduled to add a third in June and a fourth in July (that’s four shops in seven months for those paying attention!), while Keyur Patel recently opened a fourth location and Jumping Rock Management LLC expanded its footprint in the greater New York area. Existing franchisees continue bringing others into the system as well, with three referred candidates already becoming franchisees this year, highlighting the kind of word-of-mouth momentum that comes when operators encourage friends, family members and business contacts to join the Madness.
“What’s exciting about Teriyaki Madness is who it works for. Experienced multi-unit operators looking to diversify, and first-time franchisees stepping into ownership with a full support system behind them,,” said Michael Haith, chief executive officer of Teriyaki Madness. “We’ve built TMAD to be a full-service partner from day one – real estate, training, marketing, technology – so operators aren’t figuring it out alone. When people see the machine working, they start calling friends and family to come take a look. That’s when you know the momentum is real.”
Crazy Growth Everywhere You Look
Performance metrics continued outpacing broader industry benchmarks throughout the quarter. Numbers are one thing. Numbers that make the rest of the industry look lazy? That’s a different story:
- Year-to-date same-store sales increased 4.66% through June 30, while same-store traffic was up 1.12% compared to fast casual averages of 0.63% and negative 1.87%, respectively.
- Quarter-to-date same-store sales from April 1 through June 30 increased 7.42% while traffic climbed 3.27% compared to category averages of 1.14% and negative 1.93%.
- Systemwide sales growth reached 29.3% year over year through June 30 and 30.3% quarter over quarter during the same period.
- Catering also continued to gain traction, with year-to-date catering sales increasing 59.15% compared to the same period last year and growing 97.10% compared to 2024 levels.
The receipts don’t lie.
The Seattle-style teriyaki brand didn’t need a trend report to tell it what guests wanted. Clean, high-quality proteins. Fresh vegetables. Ingredients that don’t cut corners. That’s been the model for more than 20 years, long before “high-protein” and “clean eating” turned into the industry’s favorite buzzwords – the rest of the industry is just now catching up to what TMAD guests have known all along.
Nothing proves the strength of that concept better than the second-quarter launch of the Two-by-Two Bowl. When TMAD doubled down on protein, guests doubled down right back, driving higher check averages and stronger margins. The Two-by-Two Bowl generated an average profit of $16.52 per bowl – 38% higher than the Large Two Protein Bowl and 50% higher than an average Large Bowl. That’s not just a marketing win. That’s a business-model win.
TMAD also introduced National Eat Your Veggies Day for the first time, and the promotion quickly became the sauciest event of the year. It was a record-setting day as the highest system-wide sales day to date, surpassing the previous Wednesday sales record by 40.3%. Leave it to Teriyaki Madness to turn a veggie holiday into a record-breaker. Twelve shops recorded their highest sales day since opening and Mad Rewards daily membership growth increased by 42%.
More Faces Around the Home Office = More Support for Our Franchisees
The quarter saw new additions across support functions as the company continued to invest in infrastructure to support current operators and future growth. Behind every madly good bowl is an even madder team making it happen – and the crew just got bigger.
- Jake Lowell, Real Estate Manager
- Hayden Kern, Digital Marketing Coordinator
- Madeline Ginn, Data Engineer
- Lauren Williams, Senior Manager of Instructional Design
- Adaline Rascon, Office Coordinator
- Chase Jackson, Construction Coordinator
The company is preparing to launch a market-focused real estate initiative beginning in Houston later this summer, and Space City is about to get a lot more delicious. The strategy is designed to identify high-value locations for existing multi-unit operators first, then use available sites as a lead-generation engine for future development.
“We are building systems that make operators more successful before they ever unlock the front door of a new location,” said Jodi Boyce, chief marketing officer at Teriyaki Madness. “The strongest brands are not chasing growth and hoping everything catches up later. We are stacking tools around the people in our system through smarter technology, stronger real estate support and promotions that keep giving franchisees reasons to smile every time they check performance reports.”
TMAD also continued to receive industry recognition, including Fast Casual Movers and Shakers, inclusion in QSR’s Young Leaders to Watch, placement on Franchise Direct’s Global Top 100 ranking and reaching No. 221 on Technomic’s Top 500 list.
With more locations opening, operators continuing to scale and demand increasing across channels, the company enters the second half of 2026 with a lot of runway and absolutely no interest in taking its foot off the gas.
