DENVER, CO – Teriyaki Madness (TMAD), the rapidly expanding Seattle-style teriyaki franchise, has announced a significant enhancement to its corporate infrastructure with the appointment of Jake Lowell as Franchise Development Real Estate Manager. This newly created position is designed to accelerate the brand’s "Real Estate Fast Track" program, a comprehensive support model that distinguishes TMAD within the competitive fast-casual restaurant sector.

The move comes at a pivotal time for the Denver-based franchisor, which has seen aggressive growth over the past two years. By integrating Lowell into the franchise development pipeline, Teriyaki Madness aims to further streamline the site selection and leasing process, providing both prospective and existing franchisees with a sophisticated, data-driven path to market entry.

Main Facts: A New Era of Real Estate Prequalification

At the core of this announcement is the evolution of Teriyaki Madness’s real estate philosophy. Unlike many franchisors that provide limited guidance during the site-selection phase, TMAD has historically prioritized a "hands-on" approach. The introduction of the Franchise Development Real Estate Manager role signifies a move to push this support further "upstream" in the development cycle.

Jake Lowell’s primary objective is to spearhead the collaboration between the real estate and franchise development teams. By embedding real estate expertise early in the process, TMAD can now prequalify potential sites before a lease is even on the table. This proactive strategy allows prospective owners to enter the system with viable location options already identified, significantly reducing the "dead time" between signing a franchise agreement and securing a physical storefront.

For existing multi-unit operators, Lowell’s role provides a mechanism for rapid scaling. By identifying markets with high brand awareness and latent customer demand, Lowell can pinpoint "turnkey" opportunities that allow seasoned operators to expand their footprint with minimal friction.

Chronology: Building the "Real Estate Fast Track" Engine

The "Real Estate Fast Track" program did not emerge in a vacuum; it is the result of years of iterative improvements led by Beth Steeler, who has served as the authority behind the program for over three years. Under Steeler’s direction, TMAD moved away from the traditional "hands-off" real estate model that often leaves franchisees feeling isolated in the complex world of commercial leasing.

2023–2024: Establishing the Foundation

During this period, Teriyaki Madness solidified its partnership with Bialow Real Estate, a premier national brokerage firm. This partnership ensured that every franchisee, regardless of their location in the United States, had access to institutional-grade brokerage services the moment their franchise agreement was executed.

2025: A Record-Breaking Year

The efficacy of the Fast Track program was proven in 2025, a year in which Teriyaki Madness successfully locked in 50 signed leases. This volume of activity demonstrated that the brand’s internal systems could handle high-velocity growth without sacrificing the quality of the sites selected.

2026: Accelerating the Momentum

As of mid-2026, the brand has already secured 31 signed leases, putting it on a trajectory to potentially surpass its previous records. The hiring of Jake Lowell in the latter half of 2026 is intended to "supercharge" this momentum, ensuring that the real estate pipeline remains robust as the brand expands toward its next milestones.

Supporting Data: Analytics and the 18-Month Timeline

Teriyaki Madness’s real estate success is rooted in a blend of human expertise and advanced technological tools. The brand utilizes Sitewise Analytics, a powerful platform that leverages consumer behavior data, demographic trends, and competitive mapping to forecast the potential performance of a specific site.

The Power of Predictive Modeling

By using Sitewise, TMAD moves beyond "gut feelings" or simple foot-traffic counts. The tool allows the real estate team to:

• Identify high-density "trade areas" where the TMAD customer profile is most prevalent.
• Analyze the performance of existing shops to create look-alike models for new territories.
• Evaluate the impact of neighboring co-tenants on potential sales.

Efficiency Metrics

The "Real Estate Fast Track" program has yielded a significant competitive advantage: the 18-month opening window. While many brands in the fast-casual space struggle with 24-to-36-month development cycles due to permitting delays and real estate scarcity, TMAD’s integrated approach aims to move a franchisee from a signed agreement to a grand opening in approximately 18 months.

This efficiency is critical for franchisee ROI. By shortening the time between the initial investment and the first day of sales, TMAD helps its partners manage capital more effectively and begin generating revenue sooner.

Official Responses: Leadership on the "Franchisee-First" Philosophy

The leadership team at Teriyaki Madness emphasizes that this investment in real estate personnel is an investment in the success of their franchise partners.

Beth Steeler, the architect of the Real Estate Fast Track program, highlighted the psychological and financial benefits of the model. "Every franchisee is betting on themselves the day they sign with us, and we want to ensure they never feel like they’re wandering the real estate wilderness alone," Steeler said. "By staying involved from the very first conversation to the lease signature, we help franchisees understand what makes a location work. Bringing Jake onboard lets us do more of that, even earlier."

Jake Lowell, the newly appointed manager, expressed his commitment to maintaining a competitive edge. "The whole idea is to stay ahead by not sitting still. The moment we know where an operator wants to build, we can already begin evaluating sites on their behalf," Lowell remarked. "That head start is the difference between a restaurant that opens this year and one that opens someday. I didn’t sign on to help Teriyaki Madness keep pace. I’m here to build a real estate engine that gives our franchisees every possible advantage."

Implications: Setting a New Standard for the Franchise Industry

The expansion of the Real Estate Fast Track program has broader implications for the franchise industry and the fast-casual landscape.

1. The Professionalization of Site Selection

TMAD’s approach challenges the industry norm where real estate is treated as a secondary support function. By creating a dedicated role that bridges the gap between sales (franchise development) and operations (real estate), TMAD is professionalizing a phase of the business that is often fraught with risk for first-time entrepreneurs.

2. Speed as a Competitive Advantage

In a market where "A-plus" real estate is increasingly scarce, the ability to move quickly is paramount. TMAD’s prequalification process allows the brand to "pounce" on prime locations before competitors can complete their internal approval processes. This speed to market is likely to attract high-net-worth multi-unit developers who prioritize efficiency and scalability.

3. Resilience Against Market Volatility

As interest rates and construction costs fluctuate, the margin for error in real estate has narrowed. TMAD’s reliance on data-driven analytics via Sitewise provides a safety net for franchisees, ensuring that they are not over-leveraging themselves on locations that lack the demographic support to sustain high volumes.

4. Brand Equity and Recognition

The brand’s growth is further bolstered by its standing in the industry. Teriyaki Madness has consistently appeared on Fast Casual’s Movers & Shakers list and received the Outstanding Operator Award from Food On Demand. It has also been recognized by Franchise Times as a "Top Brand to Buy" (Zor Award). These accolades, combined with a robust real estate strategy, position TMAD as a leader in the Seattle-style teriyaki niche—a segment that continues to grow as consumers seek healthier, customizable, and protein-rich dining options.

About Teriyaki Madness

Founded in 2003, Teriyaki Madness (TMAD) has grown from a single shop to a powerhouse franchise with over 200 locations across 41 states. The brand specializes in "Seattle-style" teriyaki—large, customizable bowls featuring high-quality proteins like marinated chicken, steak, and salmon, served with fresh vegetables and signature sauces.

The brand’s success is attributed to its "unapologetically generous" portions and its commitment to operational excellence. As TMAD continues its nationwide expansion, it remains focused on recruiting dedicated franchise operators who are eager to bring a fresh, bold concept to their local communities. With the "Real Estate Fast Track" program now operating at full capacity, the brand is well-positioned to continue its trajectory as one of the fastest-growing concepts in the United States.

For more information regarding franchise opportunities, interested parties are encouraged to visit franchise.teriyakimadness.com.