Chicken. Out.

Vegan fast-food restaurant with signature ‘chikn’ serves up second Houston location

Project Pollo is serving up more vegan dishes in Houston.

San Antonio export Project Pollo is expanding its footprint in the Bayou City. Back in June, CultureMap reported the newcomer had turned a Katy Whataburger into its first Houston outpost.

Now, southwest Houston is getting its own Project Pollo, with the chain opening operations at 6705 Fondren Rd., featuring it signature sandwiches, wraps, and nuggets. The new location, one of 14 new restaurants the chain is set to launch, will open September 18.

The brainchild of Lucas Bradbury, one of QSR Magazine's Young Restaurant Leaders to Watch, Project Pollo uses plant-based, vegan products in its menu items, "with the hopes of eventually putting Chick-fil-A out to pasture," according to the press release announcing the Houston expansion.

Bradbury's commitment to sustainability is absolute, reflected not only in his menu items, but also in his commitment to provide a caring environment for its employees, and its dedication to helping the community. The company's press materials note that Pollo donates two additional sandwiches for the sale of every $5.50 People Project Crispy Strip sandwich.

Through this charitable initiative, the company is able to give away a minimum of 1,000 sandwiches on a designated day each quarter to those in need.

The company is banking on the fact that socially minded diners will be on board with that. What they can expect to find at the new Fondren location will be a selection of favorite Project Pollo items, including the Original Project Sandwich and Loaded Papas smothered in Credo Cashew Queso, which is made to order from scratch.

Project Pollo uses a non-GMO soy patty and all-natural spices to create a flavor it says is so real, diners forget they're note eating actual chicken. Diners can choose from in-house dining or drive-thru, along with curbside online ordering. Catering is also available.

Bonus for environmental warriors: Everything from the bags to the containers and cups is compostable, something Bradbury says he feels should be the norm at all restaurants, vegan or not.

“There shouldn’t be a national concept using standard plastic as a choice,” he said in a release announcing the second installment of the restaurant. “At the end of the day, we are 100 percent about saving the planet. Saving animals is a happy byproduct of that."

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a CultureMap Exclusive

Houston's 'Chinese takeout bar from the future' touches down in Webster

Courtesy of The Rice Box

A rendering previews The Rice Box's new location in Webster.

Houston’s Chinese takeout bar from the future is coming to the Bay Area. The sixth location of The Rice Box will open in Webster later this summer.

Located at 114 El Dorado Blvd, the new location will be called Rice Box Space Center after NASA’s headquarters at the nearby Johnson Space Center. Founder John Peterson tells CultureMap that it’s a bit of a homecoming for him and his wife/business partner, Jenny Vo, as they grew up in the area. As with every new location, the restaurant created a movie-style poster to announce its opening.

Rice Box Webster movie poster The Rice Box Space Center is expected to open later this summer.Courtesy of The Rice Box

For its first truly suburban location, Peterson plans to offer a more efficient pickup system for to-go orders. Dubbed The Rice Box Pickup Reactors, the system applies Rice Box’s sci-fi aesthetic to curbside ordering. As seen in the rendering above, the building will have six slots that drivers will pull into to get their orders.

“The goal is to have guests in and out with food in hand in around 90 seconds,” Peterson writes in an email. “It’s still pickup, but we’re trying to make that moment feel more intentional and more connected to the digital side of Rice Box instead of treating it like an afterthought. We’re looking at this opening as both a new store and a prototype for how Rice Box can work in more suburban markets without losing the part of the brand that makes it feel like us.”

Bay Area-area diners can expect the same menu as the Rice Box’s other locations. That includes staples such as General Tso’s chicken, sesame chicken, beef with broccoli, and orange peel beef. The restaurant also serves traditional Chinese-inspired fare such as Chongqing chicken, cumin beef, mapo tofu, and chow fun noodles.

Recently, Peterson rolled out a new version of Rice Box’s dumplings. Available in chicken, pork, or vegetable, each style of dumpling comes with a different wrapper that enhances the filling’s flavor. They’re also available either steamed or fried.

The Rice Box started as a food truck in the early 2010s. After moving to a permanent location in the Greenway Plaza food court, it has opened brick-and-mortar locations in the Heights, River Oaks, Rice Village, and Memorial.

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