Design-your-own salad restaurant Mixt opened today, May 8, in Uptown Dallas.
It's the first Mixt outside of California, where 13 of these fast-casual restaurants reside.
The Dallas eatery features a big case of colorful vegetables and fruits where customers can pick their own ingredients for a salad, a grain bowl, or a plate with protein and two sides. The target audience is businesspeople needing a quick lunch, says Tony Alcala, vice president of experience for Mixt, though he hopes the proximity to Uptown, downtown and Victory Park residents also brings in a dinnertime crowd.
It also seems suited for anyone doing paleo or keto.
Alcala and his team picked this sliver of Uptown Dallas, in the newish McKinney and Olive tower, because he says there's "a collective consciousness of healthy people" in the neighborhood.
One new menu item was added to the Mixt menus with Dallas in mind: the Wrangler salad, a chicken and bacon salad with grilled asparagus, rainbow carrots, cotija cheese, jicama, black beans, scallions, barbecue-spiced croutons and Sriracha ranch dressing.
The restaurant also sells teas, lemonades, kombucha, beer and wine.
This restaurant, like its California siblings, will partner with local farms for some of the produce. All farms need to be pesticide free for Mixt to consider working with them. The partnerships are still being made, Alcala says, but Dallas' Bonton Farms is one they expect to work with. During grand opening week May 15 through 19, Mixt will donate $1 from every salad to Bonton Farms. The first 250 guests that week will also find free tote bags with goodies.
Alcala notes that all Mixt stores have "a close relationship with Mother Nature" and that the packaging and utensils are recyclable. Customers will be directed to place uneaten food in a compost trash bin, and Alcala says he hopes "very few" items go into the landfill from Mixt.
The mission will be to "provide a healthy meal you could get quickly — and get it catered to a variety of dietary preferences."
Mixt is now open at 2355 Olive St., Dallas. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week.
