Sandwiches For Good

Restaurant chain debuts in Dallas with mix of sandwiches and altruism

Even Stevens does sandwiches and a little something extra.

Photo courtesy of Even Stevens

A Salt Lake City-based sandwich shop with a mission is coming to Texas. Even Stevens Sandwiches will open its first Texas location in Richardson. A spokesperson confirmed that the restaurant would be opening later in 2017, but did not divulge an address. The company specializes in sandwiches, but with a charitable bent: For each sandwich sold, they make a donation to local non-profits.

The first Even Stevens opened in Salt Lake City in 2014. There are now 15 locations across Utah, Arizona, and Idaho, plus a newly-opened branch in Denver. According to its website, Even Stevens currently supports more than 40 different non-profit partners in local markets.

Founder Steve Down runs a variety of companies, most of which also claim to include in a charitable component, such as Falls Event Center, a chain of venues for weddings and other parties.

Even Stevens' sandwich menu includes standards such as a Reuben and a Cuban, but often with a gourmet spin. A roast beef sandwich comes with Gouda and onion marmalade. The turkey sandwich has "cran-peno" jelly, tomato spread, and cucumber. A banh mi sandwich can be ordered with pork belly or mahi mahi.

The grilled cheese sandwich has white cheddar and cream cheese, with garlic and roasted jalapenos. A "pot roast dip" sandwich has turkey pot roast with Swiss cheese.

There's a vegan sandwich with red pepper hummus, tomato spread, avocado, cucumber, and arugula on ciabatta bread; and that vegan favorite, jackfruit, the Asian fruit whose toothsome texture makes it a popular vegan stand-in for shredded meat. At Even Stevens, they do a jackfruit "carnitas" with pepitas, guacamole, cilantro, and pickled onions on a sweet bun.

Their bread options are wide and varied: from multi-grain to French bread to rye to baguette to sourdough. And all of the sandwiches are $9 or less.

They do three salads including a BLT-themed chopped salad, and one with chicken and beets. Their hours include breakfast as well as lunch and dinner, and there are a half dozen breakfast items including a breakfast burrito, an egg sandwich on a Hawaiian bun, and stuffed French toast.

A snacks and bites section has pretzel sticks, baked mac and cheese, Brussels sprouts, tomato-basil bisque, and two kinds of tots, served with aioli or else a $4.95 nachos-style tots plate topped with cheese, bacon, jalapenos, and avocado.

There is coffee in the morning, plus beer and wine, and live music on weekends.

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McDonald's News

McDonald's closes 2 CosMc's beverage spinoffs in Dallas-Fort Worth

Photo courtesy of CosMc's

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After less than a year, McDonald's is cutting back on its CosMc's beverage spinoff, and that includes shutting down locations in Dallas-Fort Worth.

McDonald's introduced the beverage led concept in December 2023, when it opened the first location in Bolingbrook, Illinois. The concept — which seemed to be competing with Swig, the drive-through drink chain from Utah — features coffee, lemonade, slushies, and energy drinks, plus bites such as the Egg McMuffin, hashbrowns, and McPops — like doughnut holes.

They went on to open six more locations, all in Texas: two in San Antonio and four in DFW. Both San Antonio locations still show up on the website as open but two have closed in DFW so far, as follows:

Watauga at 7304 Denton Hwy.
Arlington at Abram's Alley, 300 E. Abram St. #150

Their website currently shows the Dallas location at Campbell Road, which was the original location, as still open, as well as a location in Fort Worth on McPherson Boulevard.

Despite the closures, McDonald's still plans to continue the test in the US for the foreseeable future, a spokesperson says, including opening two new smaller format stores in Texas in 2025.

That includes a location in Allen at 861 W. Stacy Rd.

The plan is to close three of the larger locations that were remodeled into CosMc’s locations — meaning that one of the locations currently still open is due to close.

"Since opening CosMc’s, we have had the benefit of testing out different location sizes and setups – from revamping larger restaurant spaces to building smaller prototype locations that focus more on the drive-thru and digital experience," their statement says. "We learned that the smaller format stores allow us to test new, unique circumstances that are reflective of our customer base. As a result, we will open two new smaller format stores in Texas in 2025, and close three of the larger locations that were remodeled into CosMc’s locations."