Shawarma Press
Preferred Sq. Footage: 2,500 s.f.
12-Month Anticipated Openings: 3+
The fast-casual Mediterranean chain counts on bullish expansion with plans to add over 100 units over the next five years. These will include standalone restaurants, as well as units inside Walmart. Units are in the works for Wichita Falls, Lufkin and Temple, Texas, and the company’s sixth location just opened in Frisco, Texas. Non-traditional sites will be sought after. The menu includes chicken and beef shawarma in wraps, salads, bowls and platters, as well as appetizers and soups.
La La Land Kind Café
Preferred Sq. Footage: 1,200-1,600 s.f.
12-Month Anticipated Openings: 2
The socially conscious coffee/café chain will add a new location in Richardson, Texas, in a spot that was previously occupied by Great Outdoors Sub Shop. The chain, which currently has cafes in Texas and California, also recently added its second Houston unit last month. Downtown, street-front, freestanding pad, shopping center and regional mall sites will be targeted. The menu includes coffee, teas, matcha drinks and food items such as avocado toast.
Saigon Hustle
Preferred Sq. Footage: 800-1,000 s.f.
12-Month Anticipated Openings: 1-3
The fast-casual, drive-thru Vietnamese restaurant hopes for rapid expansion after being awarded a $1M investment from private equity firm Savory Fund. The chain won the money in the firm’s Million Dollar Restaurant Launch competition. Saigon Hustle started as a ghost kitchen then opened its first brick-and-mortar store in Houston early this year. A second location for Houston is already in the works, with plans for a third and fourth soon after. Shopping center, freestanding pad and regional mall sites will be targeted. The menu features classic Vietnamese dishes with unique proteins such as Honey Glazed Lemongrass Salmon and Honey Soy Barbequed Chicken.
Sauced BBQ & Spirits
Preferred Sq. Footage: 8,000-10,000 s.f.
12-Month Anticipated Openings: 1
The barbecue chain will soon add its sixth location with a new restaurant coming to El Segundo, Calif., in a spot that formally housed a Salt Creek Grille. The location will join four other existing units that also feature axe throwing in the restaurant. All existing locations are currently in the Golden State and a San Jose unit opened early this year. Freestanding pad, shopping center and entertainment center sites will be targeted. The menu includes traditional barbecue items, as well as burgers, sandwiches, loaded sweet potatoes, “fancy” fries, cocktails and rotating beer taps.
Massis Kabob
Preferred Sq. Footage: 500-4,000 s.f.
12-Month Anticipated Openings: 1
The quick-service Mediterranean/Middle Eastern chain, which traditionally has only been located in small Westfield mall locations throughout Southern California, will open its first standalone restaurant in Glendale, Calif., this month. This will be the largest unit for the chain and will include open-fire meat skewer grilling, room for 150 diners and an attached patio. Regional mall and non-traditional units will be sought after. The menu includes pitas, kabobs and traditional sides and appetizers such as hummus and taboule.
