Albuquerque doctor enters the restaurant business with teriyaki franchise

Dr. Trang Tran has always known she wanted to do something besides medicine.

“I didn’t know what it would be,” Tran said. “And the food business was the last thing on my mind because you hear the story, ‘Don’t go into the food business. Don’t go into the food business.’ But then I found Teriyaki Madness, and I thought it was a great fit.”

Tran has plenty of experience running her own business. She opened her own Albuquerque medical practice in 2012.

“I’ve always been an entrepreneur,” she said. “I work really hard. There’s no such thing as passive income.”

Teriyaki Madness is a teriyaki chain that began in Seattle in the 90s, with a focus on offering Seattle-style teriyaki. The menu features chicken, tofu, salmon and even yakisoba style noodles. Tran decided to become a franchise owner after she tried the food at a Teriyaki Madness in Phoenix.

“The flavors are very cohesive. They hold together. A lot of the teriyaki, you can taste the soy sauce, and you’re not supposed to taste the soy sauce even though teriyaki sauce has soy sauce. The flavor is supposed to blend together, and it tastes really good, really fresh,” she said.

While fast food is not the healthiest option, it was important to Tran to offer healthier fast food. The dishes are made to order, and the menu includes many vegetable options. Typical menu items include a protein, a vegetable and rice, although rice can be substituted for another vegetable for a carb-free meal.

Made-to-order food was part of what appealed to Tran. She’s originally from Vietnam and misses the culture of street food.

“This concept that it’s made fresh, it’s more like street food, but not quite street food,” she said.

Albuquerque has room in the market for more teriyaki restaurants, she said. Takeout has also become even more popular after the pandemic, and Tran expects at least 80% of the business will be takeout.

Getting the restaurant operational has been a long process. Tran signed up to become a franchise owner two years ago. The building on Montgomery used to be a T-Mobile store, so it had to be entirely gutted. Over half of the building is kitchen, with a smaller dining area. Some supply chain slow downs delayed the building remodel. Electrical panels took an especially long time to arrive. The renovation is not complete, but the restaurant is scheduled to open its doors Sept. 29.

Teriyaki Madness is at 11032 Montgomery NE.