Teriyaki Madness, 833 Polaris Parkway in Westerville, is offering a pay-it-forward campaign to help provide free meals to health-care workers.

Smit Patel, a Hilliard resident who co-owns the local franchise with his brother Dhruv Patel, said Teriyaki Madness is partnering with its customers to match the contribution for the cost of meals for health-care workers and first responders.

Patel said one catering box will feed up to 12 people.

“Just call and say you want to sponsor a catering box,” he said. “You pay $75, and we will pay the other $75.”

He said the meal could be individually packed or buffet style.

Patel said the Westerville Teriyaki Madness location opened Nov. 5, 2020, and it isn’t getting the lunch rush because many area businesses still have employees working from home.

He said the business recently finished a thank-a-teacher promotion and is promoting the catering box for health-care workers.

“Every day we are inspired by the health-care workers who are going above and beyond to make sure our communities are healthy and safe,” Patel said. “We believe everyone has a role to play in overcoming this crisis, and we couldn’t be more excited to offer our customers an easy way to lend a hand by providing a hot, delicious meal for our doctors, nurses and health-care professionals.”

Go to catering.teriyakimadness.com/menu/teriyaki-madness-westerville to have a fully loaded teriyaki bar or bowls delivered to a health-care or first-responder location within six miles of the Polaris Parkway Teriyaki Madness.

Patel, who lives with his brother in Hilliard, said the spicy chicken is currently the most popular menu selection.

On Jan. 14, Sunbury resident John Kibler said he already had eaten at the restaurant twice in one week, and spicy chicken is his favorite.

“I eat here all the time,” he said. “It’s good and fresh. I like the spicy chicken with fried rice. There’s no breading, and it’s good.”

Kibler said the portions also are large.

“It’s a crazy amount of meat,” he said.

Columbus resident Xiomara Colon, who teaches at the neighboring CycleBar, said she really likes the restaurant’s teriyaki chicken with noodles.

“It’s really good,” she said. “I really enjoy it. I’ve gotten that the past two times. I like that you can choose options.”

The Build Your Bowl offers Chicken Teriyaki, Spicy Chicken, Orange Chicken, Steak Teriyaki, Teriyaki Salmon, Chicken Katsu and Spicy Tofu Teriyaki with white rice, brown rice, fried rice, or noodles. All bowls include vegetables.

“Ninety-five percent of our menu is gluten-free,” said Patel, who also works as a financial adviser.

Patel said his parents have owned a gas station and convenience store his entire life, so he and his brother have a business mindset.

“We’re sharing roles and wear multiple hats,” he said.

The Westerville franchise is the only one in Ohio, according to Patel and the website’s locations section at teriyakimadness.com/locations/. Teriyaki Madness is based in Denver, Colorado.