Young Ones to Watch: Alison Satriana, Director of Development At Teriyaki Madness

This month 1851 Franchise is highlighting young, up-and-coming professionals in the franchise industry to discuss what makes it such a viable career option. Alison Satriana, director of development for Seattle-style teriyaki brand Teriyaki Madness, says the ability to help people find opportunities and achieve their dreams of being an entrepreneur is what she loves most about the industry.

1851 Franchise: How did you get into franchising?

Alison Satriana: By chance, actually. I was in the outdoor industry before this, selling guns. My mom’s boyfriend’s daughter works for Teriyaki Madness, and she introduced me to the company. I still loved marketing and sales, but I was ready for a change in industry. I started as an office manager and coordinator and quickly found the business development and franchise development side of the business. I love helping people to find their next opportunity and to own their own business, which is the American dream. 

1851: What do you love about the industry? 

Satriana: I love that, even for a big industry, it still feels so small. There are so many restaurants and franchises in existence but the experience of it all is mostly the same across the board — everybody helps each other. When COVID-19 happened, it hit us all. Everyone came together for webinars and talked about how we can generate more leads, what they were actually seeing happen to their business and how they would pivot to curbside. 

The franchise industry provides people with opportunities, which is unique. There are a lot of different motivators to why people buy a franchise — being their own boss or starting a legacy for their family. We’re in the business of providing opportunities for “mom and pop” to become the owners of their dream business.

1851: What makes someone a good fit for the franchise industry? Are there traits that are shared by the most successful franchise professionals you know?

Santriana: If we’re speaking about the corporate side, it’s people who take initiative and are willing to take risks, and are excited about doing so. You’re the one helping to provide the opportunity they’re looking for, and you don’t do that in every industry. You should be excited about helping people.

On the franchisee side, we’re looking for someone who is coachable and willing to work in all areas of the business. If they need to get on the cook line and flip some chicken for a bit because it’s busy for the lunch rush, then they will. We look for tenacity and the ability to be a team player. 

1851: How do you feel about the industry's response to the coronavirus crisis so far? Are there challenges or opportunities that the industry still needs to address?

Santriana: In the restaurant industry it’s been amazing. Teriyaki Madness has been investing in tech over the last few years, and that’s proven to be so important during this time — updating our online ordering process, the addition of the app and navigating third-party delivery. That made it easier to pivot to 100% takeout when the pandemic first started. As a whole, I feel like the industry came together to share best practices for how they were adjusting and thinking critically about the easiest way to not waste labor and make the experience good for the customer. Overall, the fast casual and QSR spaces have been able to fare pretty well. Teriyaki Madness has been up 17% in sales and is holding strong. That shared knowledge was important in making our customers happier how they wanted and where they wanted.

The restaurant world a lot of places operate at half capacity. It's hard to figure out how to maximize our space. How do you set up tables, how do you increase your outdoor space. 

As for opportunities, this is a time when franchising thrives, and not just in the restaurant industry. People are out of jobs and seeing an opportunity for franchising to motivate them to be their own business owner. For a lot of people, COVID-19 has pushed them to where they’ve always wanted to go. 

1851: What advice do you have for other young up-and-comers in the space?

Satriana: To me, the biggest thing is being able to take initiative. That speaks volumes for how you’re helping the company you’re working for, and it shows you’re excited about your job at the basic level.