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FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy a Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Grill Franchise

Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Grill is a fast-casual Japanese restaurant franchise built around made-to-order teriyaki bowls, yakisoba and rice dishes topped with marinated grilled chicken or steak, wok-seared vegetables and a signature teriyaki sauce. Founded in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1994 and franchising from 1995, the brand is positioned toward guests who want fresher, healthier quick-service food, with customisable and riceless options at accessible prices.

The model is a counter-service quick-service restaurant serving everyday diners in retail, mall and high-traffic settings. Alongside traditional in-line and standalone units, Samurai Sam’s franchises non-traditional formats such as airports, amusement parks and college campuses, giving operators several site types to match local demand.

Samurai Sam’s joined Kahala Brands in 2003 and operates under Kahala Franchising, one of North America’s larger quick-service franchisors and part of MTY Food Group. The network is compact, at around ten locations, so resale buyers are acquiring into a small, established system backed by a large multi-brand parent’s purchasing, marketing and operational infrastructure.

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Why buy a Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Grill Franchise?

Buying a Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Grill franchise gives an operator an established teriyaki concept with three decades of menu development and a signature sauce that has built repeat custom. The brand sits in the fast-casual category, which has proved resilient and continues to draw diners who want quick, customisable meals positioned as healthier than typical fast food.

Ownership is backed by Kahala Franchising’s shared infrastructure. The purchasing and supply-chain team draws on more than two decades of vendor relationships for cost savings and faster supply, in-house research and development keeps the menu current, and the marketing team runs local and national promotion. Flexible store formats let owners target retail, mall and non-traditional venues, and an existing unit can mean inheriting trained staff, an established location and trading history rather than building from zero.

Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Grill Franchise Costs & Information

Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

  • Brand Profile

    • Year Founded

      1994

    • Franchising Since

      1995

    • New Startup Cost

      $110,660 – $632,300

    • Avg. Resale Price

      Contact us for details

  • Franchise Fees

    • Initial franchise Fee

      $7,500 – $30,000

      for new territories

    • Transfer Fee

      $5,000 – $7,500

    • Royalty Fee

      6%

      of weekly Gross Sales

    • Marketing Fee

      4%

      of weekly Gross Sales

  • Unit Performance

    • Total Units *

      10

    • New Units Opened *

      0

    • Units Transferred *

      0

    • Avg. Unit revenue *

      $482,450

    * Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Grill – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    Samurai Sam's training runs in two parts: 40 hours of on-the-job, in-store training covering prep, production and daily operations, plus 40 hours of classroom instruction at the Kahala Training & Education Center (KTEC), with a curriculum spanning customer service, marketing and loss prevention. Owners then draw on Kahala Franchising's ongoing support for operations, in-house marketing and PR, menu research and development, and a purchasing and supply-chain network built over two decades for better pricing. Resale buyers should confirm what transfer training and KTEC access incoming owners and staff receive when ownership changes.

  2. Ideal Owner

    Samurai Sam's suits a hands-on, operationally minded owner willing to work in the restaurant rather than manage at a distance. The brand looks for people comfortable following a structured operations manual and coachable to its systems, with the leadership to hire, motivate and retain a service team and a genuine customer-service focus. Prior restaurant experience helps but is not required; backgrounds in middle management, sales, marketing or the military tend to translate well. The role is local, people-led and built on consistent daily execution.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    Samurai Sam's has built its standing over three decades as an established fast-casual Japanese concept, with a signature teriyaki sauce that has earned a loyal following. Its main institutional credibility comes from parent Kahala Franchising, part of MTY Food Group, a large multi-brand quick-service franchisor with a portfolio of well-known restaurant brands and a long operating record. For resale buyers, brand-level recognition should be weighed alongside the specific unit's local reputation, online reviews, repeat custom and visibility within its trading area.

  4. Industry / Market

    Samurai Sam's competes in the US fast-casual restaurant segment, estimated at around $48 billion in 2025 and projected to grow near 6% a year (Expert Market Research). Demand is driven by consumers trading up from traditional fast food toward fresher, customisable meals, with Asian and teriyaki flavours a growing part of that shift. Quick-service formats have held up well across economic cycles, and the brand's flexibility across retail, mall and non-traditional venues lets owners follow local foot traffic. For resale buyers, local site quality and daypart traffic matter more than national totals.

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