A fast-casual sandwich chain from the Midwest is making moves on Texas: Pickleman's Gourmet Café, known for its menu of sandwiches and more, has opened a location in Plano, at 8448 Parkwood Blvd. #300, in the same center as Oishii and Halal Guys.

Pickleman's serves toasted sandwiches, but also salads, soups, and pizzas, for dine-in and takeout. The chain was founded in 2005 by founder & CEO Doug Stritzel, former COO of Jimmy John's, who opened the first location in Columbia, Missouri. They now have 35 locations across Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Indiana, Nebraska, and Texas.

They made their Texas debut in 2024 with their first DFW location in McKinney. A second store just opened in Celina in March 2026. There's also a location coming to The Colony, 5600 Nebraska Furniture Mart Dr.

Pickleman's is part of a big wave of sandwich chains that have proliferated in the past decade, many of whom — Cheba Hut, Snarf's, Capriotti's — have expanded into the Dallas area. Pickleman's is frequently compared to Potbelly, with a menu centered on sandwiches and toasted subs, served on choice of white or wheat bread.

Their selling points include produce prepped daily, 7-ingredient bread with no dough conditioners, and a "no-fryer" kitchen policy. Their sandwich options include turkey club, chicken salad, grilled cheese, and a Cuban sandwich, with notable creations as follows:

• Buffalo chicken with provolone, bleu cheese, buffalo sauce, lettuce, and ranch
• Italian beef with shaved beef dipped in au jus topped with giardiniera peppers
• Italian club, with Genoa salami, capicola, smoked ham, pepperoni, provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, vinegar & oil, and Italian seasoning

The lineup is meat-centric, with one veggie sandwich, containing cucumber, avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, and provolone.

But their menu expands beyond sandwiches with salads, soups, and bowls such as mac & cheese. A signature item is a combo featuring grilled cheese and tomato bisque soup.

They also do pizza — a thin-crust version featuring classic toppings such as pepperoni and Italian sausage, as well as pizza versions of some of their sandwiches, such as the Buffalo chicken and an asiago chicken pizza with bacon and Asiago Caesar dressing.

Sandwiches range from $8 to $11. Pizzas range from $12-$19.

The Plano café is from Integrity Franchise Group, and is part of Pickleman's goal to open a dozen or more locations across DFW.

"Expanding into Texas is a massive opportunity for us, and DFW is the perfect market for a concept that refuses to cut corners," Stritzel says in a release.