Why These Dairy Queen Franchisees Added Teriyaki Madness to Their Portfolio

After years of franchising with Dairy Queen, Lydia and JJ Raval decided they wanted to add another business to their portfolio. They were weighing their options when a friend who works for Teriyaki Madness told them about the Seattle-style teriyaki franchise. The Ravals knew they had to try it for themselves, so they drove two hours to the nearest location and tried most everything on the menu. 

Not only did they fall in love with the food, but they were impressed with the restaurant’s atmosphere and the support provided by the corporate team. They decided to move forward with Teriyaki Madness and are now on track to open their own location in Lynchburg, Virginia.

1851 Franchise spoke to the Ravals about their franchise journey 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?

Lydia: Well we've been with Dairy Queen for a little while. I've been working with Dairy Queen for 12 years and JJ has been in the business and food industry since 2006 and with Dairy Queen since 2016. We’ve grown with a company that first started buying the Dairy Queens and we started with one store and then I got a second store, third store, fourth store. And at that point, we got to the point of wanting to branch out on our own. We actually bought one Dairy Queen, which we still have. We found out about Teriyaki Madness and got really excited about the product and the atmosphere. 

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?

JJ: As a franchisee, you can get support from the franchisor. You don't have to worry about new products and everything because they already have the system developed and tested. They take care of everything, so you don't have to worry about anything other than selling the products. Whenever and wherever you need support, you can go to the franchisor for assistance.  For example, if you have a labor issue, like hiring employees or managing them, the franchisor can help you with that. The franchisor is connected to other franchisees, so they can help you out with their experience and knowledge. They can tell you what marketing strategies are effective in different areas. So, you get good support from the franchisor instead of having to figure everything out on your own.

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

Lydia: We actually have a friend in Tennessee. She doesn't own Teriyaki Madness, but she actually works at one and she told JJ about it. We decided to check it out and our closest one was actually two hours away. So we went over and we tried most things on the menu. We loved it and decided to move forward. The biggest thing we are excited about is the support from Teriyaki Madness — that was a big thing for us. 

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

Lydia: We're starting with one store. Our goal is to do well there and then we hope to spread out in our area. We're more than happy to grow. 

JJ: We want to put our best foot very strong so we can let our second foot up, so we want to set things up very well. We need to understand what we need inside, because this is new for us. I could see us growing to maybe four, five or 10 stores in the future. 

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

We worked hard to be where we are today. You can’t take short cuts and you get back what you put into what you do. We learn new things every day and our work tends to be our passion.

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

Lydia: Don't be scared of your franchisor. There's a lot of people out there who are ready and willing to help you. You just have to reach out.  

JJ: Some people think that there is a lot of control from the franchisor, but that's not the case. The franchisor's control is there to help you grow your business, not to control you. As an Indian, I see many Indians who go into the gas station business or other businesses but don't want to be franchisees because they think the franchisor has too much control. However, I see it differently. I believe the franchisor's control is helpful and constructive.

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.