Exclusive News

2 national restaurant chains choose Dallas to test market new items

French dip sandwich and onion rings at Shake Shack

Shake Shack

Two national restaurant chains are testing new items — both exclusively in Dallas. One is a new sandwich from a burger name, and the other is a trio of new items from a cheesesteak chain.

Dallas is well known as a popular market for companies to test new products. Some recent tests here include McDonald's beverage spinoff CosMc's (which they shut down — apparently we did not like it enough); Mediterranean chain Cava's chicken shawarma; and Chipotle's test of drone delivery in August.

Is it our fault that people care deeply about what we think? No it is not.

Shake Shack
The burger chain has introduced the French Dip Angus Steak Sandwich, a new test sandwich they say is unlike anything that’s ever hit Shack menus before (they love to say "Shack" without the "Shake"), and one that exemplifies their commitment to culinary innovation.

Inspired by the legacy of the original French Dip, the sandwich features herb roasted Angus steak, Gruyere cheese, and roasted garlic aioli. It's served on a butter-toasted-to-order 6-inch hoagie roll, making it the first Shack sandwich to ever be served on something other than the classic potato bun.

The sandwich is paired with a red wine and rosemary au jus for dipping, and horseradish cream sauce on the side. They recommend ordering it with Shake Shack’s new crispy beer-battered onion rings. Hell, just get the onion rings alone.

It's available at the following locations:

Plano
Dallas Uptown
Preston Royal
Southlake
Addison
Las Colinas
Stockyards
Old Town
NorthPark Center
Park and Preston
West Bend
Grand Prairie
McKinney

Charleys loaded friesCharleys

Charleys Cheesesteaks & Wings
Global cheesesteak chain has debuted a limited-market test of a new Everyday Value Menu at select Dallas locations (plus a few locations in Tampa, Florida). The test pairs new items with menu favorites for made-to-order meals at prices starting at $6.

Charleys was founded in 1985 by Charley Shin while he was still a student at The Ohio State University with a menu of Philly cheesesteaks, loaded fries, and lemonade. It currently operates more than 850 locations globally in 46 U.S. states and 17 countries, found in retail shopping centers, airports, strip centers, and Army & Air Force bases worldwide.

The Dallas and Tampa markets were chosen for their demographic diversity and high-volume retail traffic, providing insight into how value-driven innovation performs in key trade areas.

This test, served at select strip mall and Walmart locations in Dallas and Tampa through early December, features three new items:

Crispy Chicken Tenders
Loaded Fries topped with any cheesesteak
Fat Burritos, including Fat Chuck and Fat Firebird

They're also introducing new combos priced under $8:

Small Philly Cheesesteak + Fry – $7.99
Small Chicken Cheesesteak + Fry – $6.99
4-piece Boneless Wings + Fry – $5.99

Charleys is using this pilot to gather insights that will guide future menu development and potential rollout decisions in 2026. They'll monitor sales, guest satisfaction, and operational metrics to guide a potential 2026 rollout. If successful, the menu could expand to additional markets next year. People, do your part! Go order the loaded fries.

openings

Grocery News

Urban grocery market will join scene in historic downtown Carrollton

Street Corner Urban Market

A new grocery store brand is making its Texas debut in Carrollton: Called Street Corner Urban Market, it's a small chain from Kansas that will go into a former vintage store at 1105 South Broadway St., across from the historic downtown square, with an opening slated for spring 2026.

The Street Corner brand is headquartered in Topeka, and comprises several concepts, from express kiosks to gas station companions. The urban market concept has 47 locations across the United States as of early 2025, in cities such as Fresno, California and Rochester, New York.

Carrollton will be a 2,500 square-foot store — bigger than a convenience store but smaller than a large-scale grocery store.

Bringing the concept to Carrollton is franchisee Leon Smith, a longtime downtown Carrollton resident looking to fill a gap in the neighborhood's retail lineup.

“I've lived in the downtown Carrollton area probably for about seven, eight years,” Smith says. “I've always noticed the need for some type of grocery chain down here. There's just nothing down here for the residents — nowhere for them to go grab something quick.”

The historic downtown area nearly has it all: family housing, four luxury apartment complexes, a townhome development in the works, a DART station, dining, parks, entertainment, and locally-owned retail and beauty services.

The missing link: a place to grab groceries, beer & wine, flowers, produce, and ready-to-eat meals without hopping on a train or driving.

Smith, an HR professional at Baylor Scott & White venturing into franchising, says the Street Corner Market shopping experience is reminiscent of Trader Joe’s, including stocking many of the same vendors, but on a smaller scale.

Catering to the community is a priority, and they'll be open to product recommendations so that the store’s offerings reflect residents’ needs.

“It's not cookie cutter ‘this is the only way that it’s going to go,’” Smith says. “I'm here to try to make it welcoming for everybody that's around here. I'm a part of this community, so this is important to me, because I know the need for it.”

supermarkets openings