Teachers have long been the unsung heroes of their communities, but ever since COVID-19 hit, they have truly been going the extra mile (or 10) for students and families navigating the challenges of in-person learning, remote learning, hybrid models and everything in between. It’s about time someone bought them lunch. Well, that’s exactly what Teriyaki Madness and its fans are doing for teachers across the country. Starting October 27, the fan-favorite teriyaki franchise is partnering with parents and families to give back to rock-star educators with the Wok-Star Teacher Teriyaki Bar.
By ordering the Wok-Star Teacher Teriyaki Bar, guests will pay half the cost of a full hot-lunch bar for teachers at a school of their choice, with Teriyaki Madness matching and covering the rest. The limited-time program will run from October 27 to December 18.
Each Wok-Star Bar includes the brand’s famous chicken teriyaki and spicy chicken offerings, along with white and brown rice, stir-fried veggies and Teriyaki Madness’s famous house-made teriyaki sauce. The package includes ten bowls or trays that can feed up to ten hungry teachers.
EVP of Marketing Jodi Boyce hopes the initiative will bring communities together during what has been a difficult and complicated time for educators, students and parents across the United States.
“Educators throughout the country have been working hard to keep students on track in these difficult times, under the most challenging and stressful circumstances anyone has faced,” says Boyce. “I witnessed the back-to-school chaos firsthand with my sons who are in elementary and middle school and I knew we had to do something to help them stay sane and fed. With this Wok-Star Teacher Bar initiative, we’re hoping to make their hectic lives just a little better and bring them a dose of happiness to their day with a delicious lunch.”
In May Teriyaki Madness introduced its Pay-It-Forward campaign, which asked customers to team up with the brand to split the cost of meals for healthcare workers. Since that campaign launched, Teriyaki Madness and its fans have provided more than 6,000 meals to healthcare professionals and first responders across the country. Earlier this fall, the brand also kicked off the Share-A-Bowl Meal promotion to bring families together during the pandemic.
Boyce says the franchise is committed to finding new ways to support local communities and provide families with delicious, customizable meals and plenty of healthy (or not) options, as well as provide opportunities for franchisees to drive sales in their local markets.
