Former Sales Executive and Heart Recovery Nurse Launch New Franchise with Teriyaki Madness

After over 30 years in sales and executive leadership, Toby Pearcy, alongside his wife Mindy, a former open-heart recovery nurse, decided it was time to turn their lifelong dream of business ownership into reality. With a shared passion for working together and a family history in franchising, the Pearcys are now the proud franchisees of three future Teriyaki Madness locations.

“It's always been a mission of ours, and Mindy and I love doing projects together,” said Toby. “We are better together when we are doing projects. We thought the next stage in life could be franchising.”

Inspired by their parents, who successfully ran an Arby’s franchise for 35 years, they flirted with various franchising concepts for over a decade. However, it wasn't until they discovered Teriyaki Madness, the Japanese cuisine franchise with over 150 locations across the country, that they found a brand they could fully commit to. The consistent quality of the food, the unique market position, and the brand's rapid expansion were key factors that attracted them to Teriyaki Madness.

Looking ahead, the Pearcys have ambitious plans for growth. They aim to open several locations within the next five years. Their ultimate goal is to become integral members of their local community, offering career growth opportunities and fostering a supportive work environment.

Toby and Mindy Pearcy took the time to chat with 1851 Franchise to discuss all of this and more. Here’s what they had to say:

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Toby Pearcy: I’ve been in the corporate world for my entire career. I’ve been in sales and executive leadership in a variety of companies — high-performance organizations over the past 30-plus years.

Mindy Pearcy: I have a degree in nursing and I worked as an open heart recovery nurse until my daughter was born, then I stayed home with her.

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Toby: We've always wanted to open our own business, and our parents were involved in franchising in the past. They owned an Arby’s for 35 years. It's always been a mission of ours, and Mindy and I love doing projects together. We are better together when we are doing projects. We thought the next stage in life could be franchising. We’ve flirted with the idea for over 10 years but we could never fall in love with either the concept or the process that was involved. With TMAD, we were able to do that and make the commitment for three stores.

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Mindy: We really liked the consistency of the product. We went to several different locations and the food was always really good. It's not a pizza place or a hamburger place. It wasn’t an oversaturated market.

Toby: TMAD is in a state of rapid ascension and we are hoping to get in on that wave. They have about 150 stores across the country and they are adding new ones monthly. We want to get in on the ground floor — still early enough to get in, but it is growing rapidly.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth?

Toby: We really want to take some people on this journey with us. We are hoping to hire a manager for our first store that will eventually become an integrated part of our business. We hope to have several locations open within the next five years. It’s an entry strategy for our next phase of life.

1851: What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?

Toby: We are really just excited to integrate ourselves into the local community and be an integral part. We have not really had an opportunity to do that with the careers we’ve chosen. TMAD will give us the opportunity to do that. We will be able to help and challenge some people who want to grow careers in this industry or even just start and learn how to work, grow into other careers. That's part of what is in it for us. We really want to take other people on the journey. That is really important to us.

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming a franchise owner?

Toby: Make the decision sooner than you think. It's not as scary as you think. We flirted with a lot of concepts and weren’t able to fully fall in love. But sometimes you just have to jump in. You may not find perfection. A lot of the time we wish we had done that 20 years ago.

ABOUT TERIYAKI MADNESS

Teriyaki Madness is making big moves. Named the #1 Fastest-Growing Big Restaurant Chain in the U.S. by Restaurant Business, TMAD’s secret sauce lies in creating value for franchisees, guests and employees alike. More than 150 shops across three countries deliver big, heaping bowls of fresh, healthy, natural ingredients to their communities, creating a cult-like following with customers, employment opportunities for neighborhoods, and profitable margins for the franchisees. Backed by leading-edge technology including delivery and loyalty innovations and an all-star executive team, Teriyaki Madness’ focus is on providing profitable opportunities for our franchisees by providing delicious, healthy food to communities. Visit franchise.teriyakimadness.com for single and multi-unit opportunities.