Will it be a restaurant? Build site near Central & Hillside has Wichita wondering
Welcome to yet another round of “Is it a restaurant?” Today’s contestant: a building that’s been rapidly going up just south of the strip center near the restaurant-heavy southeast corner of Central and Hillside.
As of Monday, the building has four walls and a roof, but the exterior is still covered in green sheathing. Construction crews are scurrying around the worksite, which is littered with wooden boards sitting atop overturned earth.
The answer this time: Yes, that building will soon house a restaurant. As I previously reported, it will be the site of Wichita’s second Teriyaki Madness restaurant. The first one opened in August at 3801 N. Ridge Road, and this one is set to open Aug. 5.
The restaurant is part of a Denver-based chain that has more than 200 locations across the country. Johnny Steven, a local insurance company owner, is the Wichita franchisee.
Though the west-side restaurant opened on the corner of the Shops at Avante strip center, the restaurant on Hillside will operate from a standalone building. Steven shared his plans for the Hillside restaurant more than a year ago.
Steven said he’d hoped to have secured a site for his third Teriyaki Madness by now, but he’s had trouble finding the right property. He thought he’d found a space near K-96 and Greenwich, but it didn’t work out. He’s still on the hunt for the right spot.
In the meantime, the Ridge Road restaurant is doing quick business, he said. Its catering service is especially popular.
“It’s an overwhelming success,” he said. “I wish I could find a location for the third one, but I can’t figure it out.”
Teriyaki Madness is a fast-casual chain that wants to appeal to a younger demographic looking for healthier restaurant meals. Its menu lists made-to-order bowls featuring teriyaki chicken, steak, salmon and tofu. It also offers orange chicken, chicken katsu and yakisoba.
Customers can choose to have their bowls made with white, brown or fried rice; stir-fried or steamed veggies; or noodles. The restaurant also offers appetizers such as chicken egg rolls, chicken pot stickers, crab Rangoon and edamame.
Customers order their food at the counter for dine-in or get it to go. Though Teriyaki Madness restaurants don’t have drive-throughs, they do employ a service they call “Mad Dash.” People who order their food online through the restaurant’s app can pull up to the curb and pick it up fast.
Steven started Eddy’s Insurance Group in 2014 with his brothers Brandon and Rodney. His cousin Craig Steven Jr. of the Spangles chain, also has a small stake in the Teriyaki Madness franchise.
This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 1:20 PM.
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