Restaurant Sherpas
Full operational support
Restaurant Sherpas is a management affiliate currently working exclusively for Teriyaki Madness. We provide oversight and full operational support for absentee-owner franchisees of Teriyaki Madness.
We’re With You Every Step of The Way
Restaurant Sherpas focuses on every aspect of the experience; great food, next-level service, and a well-maintained shop.

Real Estate & Site Selection
We work with the franchisee and their brokers to find the right site with the right site characteristics that will contribute to a successful TMAD shop.

Construction
Our development team manages the construction bid process, provides real-time construction milestone updates, and helps coordinate all communication throughout the building of the shop.

Recruiting
Restaurant Sherpas recruits quality Business Coaches who oversee the employees of your shops and act as area or district managers.

Marketing
Our Marketing team support and works with our franchisees to craft a Local Shop Marketing Plan. With an absentee owner, we manage the marketing efforts outside the four walls to create brand awareness and trial from the entire trade area.

Operations
We manage the daily operations of the shop through the management team and employees we hire to ensure every guest receives a great experience. We also manage the profitability of the shop and ensure that we are achieving the goals and objectives established by the franchisee.

Ongoing support
Our support doesn’t stop at the grand opening. We continue to work closely with the franchisee and shop manager to provide tools, systems and turnkey programs that help grow the business.

Financial Reporting
We provide transparent reporting into the financial performance of the shop, develop action plans to address opportunities, and create business plans for future growth.

Hiring & Training
Restaurant Sherpas handles the recruiting, hiring, onboarding and training for a TMAD shop, including the development of the team on an ongoing basis.

Real Estate & Site Selection
We work with the franchisee and their brokers to find the right site with the right site characteristics that will contribute to a successful TMAD shop.

Construction
Our development team manages the construction bid process, provides real-time construction milestone updates, and helps coordinate all communication throughout the building of the shop.

Recruiting
Restaurant Sherpas recruits quality Business Coaches who oversee the employees of your shops and act as area or district managers.

Marketing
Our Marketing team support and works with our franchisees to craft a Local Shop Marketing Plan. With an absentee owner, we manage the marketing efforts outside the four walls to create brand awareness and trial from the entire trade area.

Operations
We manage the daily operations of the shop through the management team and employees we hire to ensure every guest receives a great experience. We also manage the profitability of the shop and ensure that we are achieving the goals and objectives established by the franchisee.

Ongoing support
Our support doesn’t stop at the grand opening. We continue to work closely with the franchisee and shop manager to provide tools, systems and turnkey programs that help grow the business.

Financial Reporting
We provide transparent reporting into the financial performance of the shop, develop action plans to address opportunities, and create business plans for future growth.

Hiring & Training
Restaurant Sherpas handles the recruiting, hiring, onboarding and training for a TMAD shop, including the development of the team on an ongoing basis.
About Us
Basically, we’re the behind-the-scenes business ninjas. Running a great restaurant requires a team dedicated to making sure that every aspect of a guest’s experience is excellent. Restaurant Sherpas was designed to aid rapid expansion of TMAD through investors who recognize the financial appeal of a leader in the food franchise space but don’t want to work in a restaurant. The returns provided through an investment in Teriyaki Madness and operated by Restaurant Sherpas is unique. With the forecast of reduced capital costs provided by a recessionary economy, we expect growth to accelerate at an even more rapid pace as TMAD franchise owners quickly snap up deals.


Testimonials
Teaming with Restaurant Sherpas during the development of our Teriyaki Madness shops has been a great experience. We can focus on what we do best knowing that Sherpas is available to guide us and support us in the areas where we need help the most. Even in these most difficult times as the country deals with a world-wide pandemic, Restaurant Sherpas doesn’t miss a beat. They are available on a daily basis to help us move the development of our restaurants forward. Seeing them perform in this environment gives us the confidence to know that they will excel at running our shops when life gets back to some sort of normalcy. We look forward to a long, productive relationship with Restaurant Sherpas.
– John Widmer, FirstPathway
FirstPathway Partners
Bob Kraft, Chairman and CEO of FirstPathway Partners, explains why their regional center ultimately chose to work with Restaurant Sherpas.
GloboFran
Hear GloboFran talk about Restaurant Sherpas resources, training and more. This is in Spanish with subtitles coming soon.
Getting started
Are you a good fit for restaurant sherpas? It depends…Do you want to take over the world? If your answer is yes, then continue reading. Do you want to own a business but not be involved in the day-to-day? Are you ready to join the new wave of fast casual restaurants and work for yourself? We thought so. You’ve met the team, tried the food, talked with owners, learned about the support you’ll receive and been approved as a new owner. Let’s get this Teriyaki Madness party started.

Franchise Disclosure Document

Introductory Call

Discovery Day

Franchise Owner

Sherpas Support Team

Joe Gordon
Chief Restaurant Officer
Joe Gordon is TMAD’s Chief Restaurant Officer and is responsible for maximizing both the TMAD and Restaurant Sherpas business models. He has more than 20 years of restaurant experience specializing in improving shop level profitability and facilitating rapid growth at concepts like Wendy’s, Noodles & Company, and Portillo’s.

Alex Hansen
Director of Franchise Profitability
Alex has been in the restaurant industry for over 25 years with brands like Smashburger, Honeybaked Ham Co., and Einsten Bagels. Alex has been working directly with franchise owners to improve their profitability for over 11 years, and currently leads the team of Business Coaches for Teriyaki Madness and helps to support the franchisee community.

Kevin McCarthy
Vice President of Training, Operations & Restaurant Sherpas
Kevin is TMAD’s Vice President of Training, Operations & Restaurant Sherpas. He is responsible for all training programs, NSOs and all things operations. He has been in the restaurant business for 30+ years and has supported both Training and Operations. He spent 13 years at Smashburger before joining TMAD.

Greg McCollum
Franchise Business Coach
Greg has been in the restaurant industry for over 25 years. He attended culinary school and worked as a chef in several Denver restaurants. He joined Smashburger as a District Manager and was promoted to Director of Training. Greg coaches TMAD franchisees and helps them build strategies to improve their business results through great operations.
Faq
Here’s the who, what, where and why of Restaurant Sherpas. Click the learn more button for more FAQ questions.
What is Restaurant Sherpas?
Restaurant Sherpas is a management company that provides hands on leadership for semi-absentee and absentee owner franchisees of Teriyaki Madness, including visa holders, landlords, investors and more!
What is the fee?
What are Restaurant Sherpas' responsibilities?
- Real Estate Review
- Construction Oversight
- Marketing
- Hiring & Training
- Managing
- Communication
- Reporting
What are the franchisee’s responsibilities?
- Approve strategic plan
- Approve the budget
- Sign off on locations, contractors and vendors
- Read monthly reports.
Is this program available anywhere in the U.S or just select markets?
It is available anywhere in the United States or Canada.
