Teriyaki Madness is officially bringing the madness to San Antonio following a recent three-unit signing. The brand will introduce its menu of high-quality, craveable teriyaki bowls to the city, with fresh ingredients, a healthy approach to quick-serve and an energetic shop atmosphere created by its fun-loving team behind the counter.
So, who can San Antonions thank for their new favorite answer to the question: “What should we eat?” Look no further than Daniel Gifford & Gilberto Vergara, the franchisee all-star behind the signing.
Gifford worked in personal security before moving to San Antonio in 2008 during the financial crisis. There, he worked for a large catering company and helped develop their management team. When Gifford and his business partner Gilberto Vergara decided to start a business of their own called Feffa Enterprises in the San Antonio area, their primary goal was to introduce something completely new to their community. When they settled on restaurant ownership, the choice became clear.
“Growing up in the Las Vegas area, I knew the Teriyaki Madness brand well and was a huge fan of the food,” says Gifford. “When I moved to San Antonio, they not only didn’t have Teriyaki Madness, but nothing even similar! That is why it was my first choice for franchise ownership.”
And Gifford says the San Antonio community is in particularly dire need of some high-quality bowl action. “The diversity of the city is pretty awesome,” he said. “San Antonio is the seventh largest city in the U.S. and is continuing to grow. There is an abundance of other styles of cuisine as more and more diverse demographics move to the city, and there is definitely an unmet appetite for Seattle-style teriyaki. The quality and quantity of our food is unmatched, and we offer a very simplistic menu as well. That will bring a huge value to this community.”
Beyond the delicious food, Gifford says he was drawn to the brand’s fresh approach to marketing, proven business model and impressive expansion in recent years. “Teriyaki Madness is one of fastest-growing franchises in the U.S. — period. That is because they’ve mastered the approach of doing something simple, but doing it very well,” he said.
By the end of this year, Teriyaki Madness will have added another 45–50 open shops throughout North America and another 50 new franchisees to its system. 2022 is already shaping up to add another 50 percent-plus growth to a rapidly expanding success story.
Gifford hopes to open his first location in 2022, followed by a second location within a year and a third by year two or three. Looking ahead, the Teriyaki Madness team has big plans for San Antonio, with room to add 15 new shops in the state.
“Opening our first location in San Antonio is a big milestone for us as a brand, and we really have been lucky to find partners like Daniel Gifford and Gilberto Vergara,” says Michael Haith, CEO of Teriyaki Madness. “Now, we’re excited to deliver something different to the customers of San Antonio and are eager to build our presence in Texas and beyond.”
