Loosen your seat belts and get ready for the storm of grilled cheese sandwiches headed our way. Dallas Grilled Cheese Co. is hiring in Oak Cliff and the first Texas location of Tom+Chee is set to open at CityLine in Richardson.
Anybody remember the May 2013 episode of Shark Tank when Trew Quackenbush and Corey Ward, the quirky owners of Tom+Chee, made a deal with Mark Cuban and Barbara Corcoran? The tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich shop that features a grilled cheese donut was already a hit in their hometown of Cincinnati. They had five locations and were looking for money to expand. They now have over 20 franchises in operation and the first one in Texas will open in Richardson in May 2015.
It looks like they did it without Cuban. According to an article in Forbes, Ward said “We turned down the deal we made on the show. Mark Cuban wanted to go in one direction, and we wanted to go in another.” The first franchise in Texas, Greg Sippel watched Shark Tank and bought a location The first franchisee in Texas, Greg Sippel, watched Shark Tank and bought a location. He will open Tom+Chee at CityLine in Richardson. What is CityLine in Richardson? It’s a 186-acre mixed-use development with “dense urban development” and “easy access to office, residential, entertainment, parks and DART light rail network” near the intersection of President George Bush Turnpike and Central Expressway. The developer, Dallas-based KDC, is already rocking.
The 2.3 million-square-foot initial phase of CityLine construction is underway and includes an Aloft hotel; LOOK Cinemas; Whole Foods Market; Jaspers; Coal Vines; 935 apartments; a wellness office building anchored by Texas Health Resources and Children’s Health; and a health and fitness facility adjacent to a 3.5-acre park with trails.
Tom + Chee will 20 different grilled cheese sandwiches including the chocolate, bacon, and cheese on a donut pictured above, salads, three versions of tomato soup, and an endless array of specials. The entire menu is made fresh, with no fryers, freezers or microwaves, and offers a variety of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free items.
