Teriyaki Madness Franchisee Family Prepares to Open Third Location in Colorado

Tim McCurry worked in the car industry for 25 years, but always dreamt of owning his own restaurant. When he bought lunch for his dealership from Teriyaki Madness, he instantly fell in love with the food and, upon telling his wife about the incredible brand he had discovered, she told him it was time to chase his dream as a franchisee with the brand.

His wife, however, isn’t the only family member involved in Tim’s dream. In 2020, Tim opened the doors of his first location in Firestone, Colorado, and before long, he brought on his two sons, Dylan and Cameron, who worked their way up within the business to their current roles as managers. Now, the family has two locations, with another one set to open before the end of 2024. 

And while the family acknowledges that it can be challenging to separate home life from their business, they have found success with the brand and make a great team. Cameron and Dylan are particularly thankful for their dad’s efforts in building an incredible working environment and providing them with an excellent career opportunity.

“We wouldn’t be here without you,” Cameron told his dad. “Everything you’ve given to us, we hope to give it back to you.”

1851 spoke with the McCurry’s about their journey into franchising with Teriyaki Madness and their plans for the future.

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

Tim: I was involved with the car business for about 25 years. I was involved in all aspects from being a general manager to finance to working with lenders and traveling the country, but I always knew I wanted to do a restaurant. I found Teriyaki Madness when I was buying lunch for some of my dealerships and fell in love with the food. At the end of that year, my wife looked at me and said, “It's time to get out of the car business and pursue a dream.” 

I told Dylan about it, who has been working in the food industry since he was 15 years old.

Dylan: I was working right across the street at a small restaurant at the time. I started working towards shift lead and management, realizing I really enjoyed the food industry and the customer relation aspect of the job. And then my father opened his Teriyaki Madness, and I interviewed just as any other employee would and I got the job. 

Cameron: I was up in college at the time,  working on my degree and playing college basketball. Our first shop opened just before the COVID lockdown. Right before lockdown, I got kicked out of school, and I wasn’t going back. I ended up moving back into my room at home and started working at the restaurant and worked my way up. I started as a dish boy and I worked my way up through every single position. It took me about six or seven months to work my way up to management. Then, my dad looked at me finally and said, “I need a day off.” He was doing open-to-close seven days a week for six months straight, and that's where I came in and I started running it. 

We're fortunate enough to be blessed with an amazing group of regulars and we love our regulars. They've been a blessing to us, and they keep us running and it’s been a pleasure building those relationships with all of them. 

1851: How did you decide to go into business together as a family?

Tim: It's tough to work with family. You need to learn to separate business and work from everything else. The boys treat me like a boss. What I say goes. But I also have to make sure I don’t treat them like my children when they’re in my store, because they are managers. They need the respect that role deserves. When they need me to come in and work, they are still in charge and I am an employee.

The dynamics at home can be challenging but we are learning it and figuring it out and it’s getting better and better as we go. 

Dylan: It’s a blessing and a curse, just like anything. It’s taught me a lot; I’ve learned a lot about working under pressure and I have a lot of love for what I do. It can be tough to balance work and home life but overall it’s been awesome.

Cameron: Dad has done an amazing job; it truly is learning that balance. Sometimes Dylan is my manager, and sometimes I am his, so we have to be clear about who is in charge at certain times and let that person call the shots.

1851: Working with family means you know each other really well. How has working with family helped you find success in business ownership?

Dylan: We make such a great team, especially with Cameron coming from another position, working long hours, lifting heavy boxes, and then my work in the food industry, and my father’s business and finance mindset. We come together really well.

Customers will tell us that we run this location well and it’s because we all love what we do. It’s more than just work, it is family and our livelihood.

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

Tim: I did this because I love the food. People think I’m crazy. I still eat something from the store almost every day. I absolutely love the food. The support we need is always there, the franchisor treats us right and is fair. It’s a great environment to be in. I had a lot of business experience but I never had a restaurant before this, so the support from the corporate team has been really helpful.

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

Tim: We have a lot of plans for growth. We are building a legacy for our family. We’d love to open up five to 10 stores in the northern half of Colorado over time. There is definitely potential for growth to the north of us. It’s up to the boys if they want to stay in this business or do something else in the future, but either way, this will act as a springboard for them. My niece, nephew and sister are involved in the business as well, and I like to think it will act as a springboard for their futures too. 

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

Tim: Hold on tight! The boys made me a sign to hang in our store that says, “??You don’t know what you don’t know until you don’t know it,” and we’ve learned as we went along. 

Cameron: It’s not going to be easy but do it! Some people panic in the beginning, but we’ve helped stores, driving two hours south to get them through the tough first steps.

Dylan: We are commuting anywhere and everywhere to help everybody in the Teriyaki Madness network. We have help from the corporate team, and we know these people by name. They check in on us. If you want to do a business, this is the most blanketed, insured way to do it.

There is always a cost — it was a lot of long hours, especially at the start. But, it has opened a lot of doors; I was able to go out to Hawaii and help with a store opening there, for example. It’s a great business opportunity.

1851: With Father’s Day coming up, do you want to give your dad a shout out?

Cameron: Thank you for everything you’ve given us. We wouldn’t be here without you. Everything you’ve given to us, we hope to give it back to you.

Dylan: Thank you for the sacrifices, the hard work and the effort you’ve put in and what you do for us. Thank you for the path you’ve paved before us.

ABOUT TERIYAKI MADNESS 

Teriyaki Madness is making big moves. The secret sauce lies in TMAD’s uncompromising support systems that allow new business owners to achieve success through their proprietary training and support programs with teams dedicated to each franchisee’s unique needs. 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 TMAD franchisees by providing delicious, healthy food to communities. Visit franchise.teriyakimadness.com for single and multi-unit opportunities.