Dallas-Fort Worth does not lack for sandwich shops but The Sandwich Spot, which opened in Frisco at the very end of 2022, has some elements that make it stand out from the rest.

It's a small chain from northern California and the Frisco shop, which is at the Villages at Preston Creek at 8050 Preston Rd. #102, is the first in Texas, brought here by husband-and-wife franchisees Jeff and Yan Upchurch.

The couple are highly personable, both present at the store every day, giving it the mom-and-pop feel that is part of the DNA of the concept itself. Jeff manages day-to-day operations, while crediting Yan with being the heart behind the sandwich.

The chain was founded in Sacramento in 2007 by young entrepreneur Tom Healy, whose goal was to create a concept more personalized and local-oriented than chains like Subway. Every restaurant touts its customer service but The Sandwich Spot takes the ethos seriously, bonding with customers and also encouraging each location to cultivate its own identity.

There are now 30 locations across Northern California, plus two in Nevada, one in Arizona, and now one in Texas.

Long menu
One thing they all share in common is a crazy-long menu, with some locations, including Frisco, featuring up to 37 sandwich options.

Every location features a slightly different menu with sandwiches named for local landmarks. Frisco specials include

• The Dallas Cowboy, with turkey, prosciutto, avocado, and Swiss cheese
• The Ranger with brisket, pastrami, American cheese, Bomb Sauce, and mustard
• Big Tex, with turkey, ham, and roast beef

Best sellers include the Frisco Club with hot turkey, bacon, Cheddar, and avocado, and the Home Depot with ham, salami, prosciutto, Provolone, and Italian dressing.

Most sandwiches are $12, with a few such as the decadent IBEW 69 with brisket, roast beef, grilled onions, Swiss cheese, and Lava Sauce, topping out at $15.

Sauces are a thing: When you order any sandwich, you have the option of choosing one of the house-made sauces. The staple is the Bomb Sauce, AKA Jalapeno Ranch; Lava Sauce is the Bomb Sauce with Sriracha, for an extra kick.

Dutch crunch
The chain's other distinctive feature is its unusual bread. They offer bread choices including sliced bread, wraps, and rolls, but the signature is their Dutch crunch, sometimes called tiger bread, an invention of Dutch origin in which soft bread dough is topped with a rice paste before baking. The rice paste creates a giraffe-like cracked pattern on the top of the loaf, and also gives the bread a sweet, crackly crust.

It's the most popular choice, Yan says.

"About 60 percent of our orders ask for the Dutch crunch," she says.

The bread is shipped from Fresno par-baked and frozen, with a layer of rice paste placed on top, so that the couple can bake it fresh to order. They use high-quality meats, their lettuce and tomato are bright and fresh, but if the quality of a sandwich can be judged by its bread, then Sandwich Spot wins.