Another Dallas restaurant sees opportunity in the Houston area. Bread Zeppelin, a sandwich and salad concept, announced it has partnered with Avalanche Food Group to open a location in CityPlace, the mixed-use development connected to Exxon Mobil's campus in Springwoods Village.

Bread Zeppelin sets itself apart with its novel approach to sandwich construction. As CultureMap Dallas explains, the restaurant uses hollowed-out baguettes that are stuffed with chopped salads such as chicken Caesar or the its most popular, the Southwest, with avocado, tomato, corn, black beans, cotija cheese, romaine lettuce, and a dressing of blue cheese or avocado ranch. The configuration makes for an easier, less messy eating experience.

"We cut off one end and extract the dough in the center," co-founder Troy Charhon told CultureMap Dallas back in 2013. "That gives it a crispy skeleton that holds all the chopped ingredients together without disintegrating. We make our own dressings. If they soak into the bread, you still have the outer shell. It's self-contained — something you can eat on the go, with one hand, in your car."

Avanlanche Food Group operates eight Twin Peaks locations and two Fuel Kitchen & Health Bar outposts. The company has received awards for the way it operates its franchised restaurants, making it a natural fit to bring Bread Zeppelin to Houston.

“When my high school friend Andrew [Schoellkopf] and I came up the novel idea for the Zeppelin in 2010, we never anticipated such an incredible reception to the brand and the trajectory of our business,” Charhon said in a statement. “We are honored to be partnering with Avalanche Food Group as one of the early adopters within the remarkable environment at CityPlace, and thrilled to be starting our franchise expansion in Houston”

When the restaurant opens next spring, it will join a number of eating and drinking destinations, including a newly-opened Star Cinema Grill, Common Bond, and Sushi Rebel, a new concept from the owners of Uptown Sushi.