Best friend duo William Harris and Matthew Bartow are opening Cleveland's first Teriyaki Madness at 674 Paul Huff Pkwy. on Dec. 2. The two also have plans to open three in the Chattanooga area in total.
Mr. Harris and Mr. Bartow got to know each other when Mr. Bartow would frequent the Panera Bread that Mr. Harris was managing, striking up small talk every time he'd visit. Eventually, the small talk turned into a job opportunity when Mr. Harris was looking for someone to add to the staff at the location.
Both had dreams of owning their own restaurant and eventually decided to go into business together. When they stumbled upon Teriyaki Madness, they felt like the teriyaki bowl concept was a perfect fit for Cleveland as the city was blanketed with several burger, pizza and sandwich shops.