"After announcing its Houston arrival back in April of last year, New Orleans-based hot dog chain Dat Dog has chosen its first Space City location. The chain will bring its sriracha-smothered dogs to a location near Rice University, setting up shop at the corner of Times Boulevard and Morningside Drive. The shop will occupy 2,900 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, including seating for “between 50 and 60” diners in the dining room and “20 or 30” seats on the patio. “Dat Dog is different,” Greg Hamer, CEO of franchise operator B&G Food Enterprises in a statement. “It’s a fresh concept, and we’re very excited to bring a little bit of offbeat New Orleans to Rice University.” Construction on Dat Dog’s first Houston location is expected to begin soon, and the restaurant should open sometime around the end of the summer, when Rice students head back to class for the 2018-2019 school year. Stay tuned for an official opening date." - Amy McCarthy