AKRON, Ohio - Cheese & Chong's, a trippy, 1970's themed restaurant offering gourmet mac and cheese, will open Feb. 28 in Akron's Highland Square neighborhood at 812 W. Market St.

The new restaurant is located in the space previously occupied by Mr. Zub's Deli, which moved across the street last year, according to Mario Nemr, who owns both restaurants.

"We had a kitchen already, and we were still under lease, so we knew we had to do something," Nemr said. "We were trying to keep it simple because Mr. Zubs is such a complicated menu and it's a big operation, and we were trying to do something we thought people would like without all the confusion."

It was Nemr's wife, Tiffany, who developed the mac-and-cheese concept that would become Cheese & Chong's. The duo visited other restaurants that specialize in mac and cheese to help refine their concept.

"It's not like walking into a Panera and ordering mac and cheese, not that there's anything wrong with those. It's just not what we were trying to do," Nemr said.

The restaurant offers made-from-scratch gourmet mac and cheese in 15 varieties, such as pizza mac and cheese, Philly cheesesteak mac and cheese and goat cheese mac and cheese. The only other item on the menu is waffle fries.

"All the toppings that can be added to mac and cheese can be added to the fries. Pulled pork, dust douses of Cajun, six-pepper spice, garlic mayo, goat cheese, bacon, chilli and pizza. We kind of kept it simple but still offered people options," Nemr said.

Mac and cheese is served in a pizza-style box both in store and to-go.

"It looks like you are getting a small pizza but when you open it up its mac and cheese inside," Nemr said. "We were trying to keep everything easy. In Highland Square there is a lot of foot traffic, so a lot of people will probably come in, grab it and get out of there because there are seven other bars right there."

But customers don't have to walk far to reach the nearest bar, since Cheese & Chong's is connected to The Matinee.

"It's kind of a combo. We felt that by offering grub food, it could fit right in with what we already had going with The Matinee. It's a 'we're-not-afraid-to-tell-you-that-we-have-booze-here' kind of place," he said.

The Nemrs have been remodeling and decorating the restaurant for the past six months--taking their time to perfect the psychedelic atmosphere that would make the restaurant's 1970s comedy duo namesakes proud.

Together, Cheese & Chong's and The Matinee will offer seating for at least 60 and employ 10-15 people.

Hours are Monday through Friday from 4 to 10 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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