Teriyaki is taking its place as the hot new Fresno food trend as multiple new restaurants are coming online.
Mai Kerr Thao, the owner of Clovis’ Teriyaki Time, recently celebrated the restaurant’s grand opening on Sept. 19. Teriyaki Time opened in May, but Thao said she needed some time to make sure everything was in order before celebrating a grand opening.
She’s found a lot of support in that endeavor, from the people visiting the Planet Fitness or washing their laundry in the same plaza to Vong Mouanoutoua, Clovis’s mayor, who came out to support the grand opening.
“It’s been incredible,” Thao said.
Thao grew up in an agricultural family, going to farmers’ markets all over California, but decided she didn’t want that life for herself when her parents retired from running the farm. Growing up in a family of 10, Thao’s used to cooking big portions, so starting a restaurant made sense to her.
Teriyaki Time’s menu is simple: chicken, beef, shrimp or tofu teriyaki over white rice, garden greens, fried rice or noodles. There’s some additional items on the menu, like orange chicken, appetizers and specialty boba drinks, but as everything is made in-house, Thao decided against making the menu too large.
“The simpler we can make it, the easier it will be to control the quality,” Thao said. “We want to make sure there’s consistency and there’s quality.”
Over in Fresno and Visalia, a national teriyaki chain has come into the market in a big way. Teriyaki Madness, which opened its first Central Valley location in Visalia in Jan. 2025, has already opened two more in Fresno — with a third expected on Jensen Ave. by the end of the year, according to Paul-Michel Donahie, a spokesperson for the brand.
The most recent Teriyaki Madness to come online was the location at 1916 E. Copper Ave., which opened at the end of February.
Teriyaki Madness isn’t the only one looking at expanding. Thao brought on eight team members, and is already considering hiring more.
She wants to open up a second Teriyaki Time, but first, Thao is focused on making sure the shop at 610 Shaw Ave is set.
“We just want to build a foundation,” Thao said.
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Amber Hair (they/them) is the food and restaurants reporter and influencer. Amber has been in professional journalism for more than a decade, writing for outlets like the Orlando Sentinel, The Villages Daily Sun, the Pacific Coast Business Times and others. In their spare time, they enjoy going to concerts, reading and spending time with their cats.