Teriyaki Madness Co-Founder Rod Arreola Joins the Raintree Team as Development Director

Franchise sales organization Raintree prides itself on helping brands meet and exceed their franchise growth goals. That is why they are excited to welcome Rod Arreola, a franchise industry veteran and founder of Teriyaki Madness, as its new development director. Arreola comes to the team with over two decades worth of experience in franchising and will be a valuable asset in helping fuel growth for Raintree’s brands.

From I.T. to Franchising

Arreola grew up in Seattle and spent his early career in the I.T. industry before catching the entrepreneurial bug. 

“I looked into the franchising world and even considered joining a Subway franchise, but we had a friend who owned a few independent teriyaki restaurants and was interested in finding a partner,” said Arreola. “In 2003, we opened our first Teriyaki Madness in Las Vegas, and it was a hit. We knew that if the concept could take off in Vegas, it would work anywhere because the city attracts so many people from all over the country.”

Fueled by the success of the first location, Arreola began franchising the Teriyaki Madness concept in 2005 and experienced major regional growth over the next few years. After pausing growth to build out the infrastructure in the late 2000s, the team decided to ramp up franchising efforts on a national level in 2014 with the help of Raintree. Arreola moved to Denver and over the next two years, the Teriyaki Madness brand expanded to 100 units sold across the country. 

“When Teriyaki Madness really started to expand nationally, I met Raintree co-founders Mike Edwards and Brent Dowling in Denver,” said Arreola. “We partnered with Raintree, and their team really took Teriyaki Madness to the next level. Around 2016, I wanted to find a new challenge, and I decided it was time for me to exit. Since then, I’ve remained great friends with the Raintree team.” 

After taking some time off, Arreola became a franchise owner himself in 2019 with Kidcreate Studio, another Raintree partner. When Dowling and Edwards introduced Arreola to the art studio brand, he knew it would be a great fit for the families in his community. 

“I had always wanted to invest in a franchise myself and looked at a ton of concepts after exiting Teriyaki Madness, but I knew this was the right choice,” Arreola said. “The past year has obviously been tough with COVID-19, but we are now seeing a lot of growth coming into the summer season. It has really been a great experience and is a testament to the quality of brands Raintree works with.”

Joining the Raintree Team

Earlier this year, Edwards and Dowling approached Arreola about the possibility of joining the Raintree team. Arreola loved the idea of helping Raintree expand other brands like they helped Teriyaki Madness, and officially came on board as a franchise development director last month. 

“One of the reasons I decided to join the Raintree team was because I knew I could get behind some amazing brands,” said Arreola. “For example, I’ll be helping grow the brewery concept Voodoo Brewing Co. and staffing brand NEXTAFF.

In addition to exciting brands, Arreola says he is eager to work with the expert Raintree team. “Mike and Brent are the smartest guys I know in franchising, and they’ve built an amazing team around them,” he said. “It all comes down to the culture, and I really share their passion for franchise sales.”

Arreola also notes the Raintree team has established several technology systems that will make his job even easier. “Whether it be CRMs, marketing tech or social media, they've built an amazing infrastructure for me to work with,” he said. “There are a lot of companies out there that try to do this, but I’m a tech guy and I understand how advanced Raintree’s systems are.”

How the Role Will Help Raintree Achieve Its Mission

As Raintree’s development director, Arreola will be utilizing his in-depth experience to help brands in their franchise sales process, as well as guide prospects through their onboarding. “From the initial lead, all the way to signing the franchise agreement, I’ll be working with prospects to help them achieve their goals,” he said. “I missed the franchise sales aspect of the industry — working with prospects, showing them the brand and attending discovery days. Now, with this role, I get to do that again. I will also be working with the leadership teams of all the brands to help support growth, build out their systems and enhance their franchise marketing.” 

Over the next six months, Arreola says his goal is to sell at least 10 franchises for each of the brands he works with.

The Raintree team shares Arreola's excitement and is proud to have him aboard. 

“Rod is not only someone we want to have a beer with, but he has also worked with us for years and deeply understands Raintree and the franchising industry,” said Dowling. “We know he will bring a fresh perspective and tons of franchise development experience to his new role, which will benefit our company as a whole and help our brands achieve their growth goals.”