Sandoitchi, the Dallas born pop up that helped turn Japanese convenience store style sandos into an internet fixation, is putting down permanent roots in Houston's Heights. The team is taking over the former Mico's Hot Chicken space on North Durham and turning it into a sit down flagship with indoor seating and a sizable patio. The restaurant is slated to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a beefed up coffee and beverage program that goes beyond its grab and go pop ups.
Heights flagship confirmed
Keith Tran, a Sandoitchi co founder, confirmed the location and size to the Houston Chronicle. The paper reports the group will build out roughly 1,200 square feet at 1603 Durham Drive and add a roughly 2,000 square foot patio. For Sandoitchi this marks a big jump from the small outpost the brand keeps inside a Dallas hotel.
Expanded hours, drinks and a big patio
According to Secret Houston, the Heights restaurant is expected to offer breakfast, lunch and dinner plus a full coffee bar and an expanded beverage program. That report notes the company first announced its Houston plans in August and that initial work was slated to begin in October 2025 with a goal of completing the buildout in January 2026. The business has not yet posted an official opening date.
From pop ups to a permanent home
Sandoitchi began as a traveling pop up in 2020 under chef Stevie Nguyen and partners, building a following in Dallas, Austin, Houston and California. The concept's airy, crustless milk bread sandwiches and clever boxed packaging helped it sell out pop ups and attract celebrity attention, as reported by the Houston Press. The Heights flagship will be the brand's first standalone Houston restaurant and a chance for the team to expand beyond pop up service.
The menu, sweet and savory sandos
Expect the egg salad sando that mixes soft boiled, hard boiled and scrambled eggs with Kewpie mayo, classic chicken katsu with tonkatsu sauce, and fruit forward items like Strawberry Matcha Cream and Peaches & Cream. The Houston Chronicle has outlined the brand's mix of hot, cold and fruit filled varieties and the signature crustless presentation. While the sando will remain central, co founders say the kitchen will also be able to support plated, chef driven dishes for the new dining room.
Timeline and permits
Local permitting filings and a community report list the project as roughly a $1.2 million interior remodel and lay out an October 2025 construction start with a January 2026 targeted finish, although officials caution that plans can shift. That timeline and budget were summarized in a report by Community Impact. For now, the company has not posted an opening date and is proceeding with buildout work that could adjust the schedule.
What comes next
The brand still lists its inaugural physical location inside The Joule in downtown Dallas on its website, and local reporting points to a Costa Mesa buildout in California as the company grows. See Sandoitchi and a recent local item in Back Bay Buzz for additional details. If the timetable holds, Heights diners should have a new sando forward option to try in the months ahead.
