Teriyaki Madness, a Seattle-style Teriyaki store, sold out in the first few days after it opened in Valparaiso.

Owners Haresh and Nikky Prithyani, who own the Chesterton Montessori School, hope to open several other locations in northwest Indiana. You have your eyes on Chesterton, Merrillville, Michigan City, and Mishawaka.

“We just have to get our feet wet first,” said Haresh Prithyani.

They opened their first Teriyaki Madness franchise at 2502 Calumet Ave. in Valparaiso in a former family video that they converted into a mall. They have two more suites to rent in the building that they removed the awning from so it wouldn’t be so obvious that it used to be a family video.

The Asian fast-casual restaurant chain serves individually composed teriyaki bowls such as chicken teriyaki, steak teriyaki, salmon teriyaki and spicy tofu teriyaki, which mix proteins with rice and vegetables.

The Prithyanis were about to open another business when they came across Teriyaki Madness.

“We tried it in Tennessee when we were traveling back from Nashville, where my wife has family,” he said. “It sounded pretty fat. We loved the food. It’s delicious food made with fresh ingredients that are made to order. So we spoke to the owners and they put us in touch with the franchise. “

Prithyani liked the concept.

“I didn’t want to do fast food or some other pizza place,” he said.

The 2,000 square meter restaurant has around 30 seats and will eventually add an outside terrace with around six to eight additional seats. It delivers through third party services like DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats.

It currently employs around 18 people but is hoping to have around 24-26 when it becomes easier to hire.

The Valparaiso site is currently the only one in Indiana.

“So far the praise has been insane,” he said. “There was a two-hour wait when it opened, but people were on board while we waited. It’s a west coast company that serves fresh food. It’s healthy. It’s trying something new.”

The Valparaiso site is open seven days a week from 10:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

For more information, visit teriakimadness.com or call 219-510-5218.