Super Bowl champion and Dallas Cowboys legend Daryl “Moose” Johnston announced the opening of North Texas’s second Smiling Moose Deli location, this one located at 501 W. Hickory St. (corner of W. Hickory St. and Carroll Blvd.) in Denton, Texas—centrally located between the University of North Texas campus and downtown Denton.

Smiling Moose Deli offers a selection of hot and cold sandwiches, healthy wraps, custom chopped salads, savory soups, fresh-baked cookies and pastries, and breakfast all day.  High-quality food and customer service are both staples of the Smiling Moose experience.

“I am so excited about bringing Smiling Moose Deli to Denton,” says Johnston, who also opened a Smiling Moose Deli location in UT-Arlington’s College Park District last fall. “I think Denton is going to fall in love with it. The quality of our food is second to none and the atmosphere and menu selection will be appealing to students from UNT and TWU, as well as professionals from the downtown area and families looking for a quick, healthy option for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.”

Smiling Moose Deli serves customers full, hearty portions, using the freshest ingredients prepared daily. Menu items are homemade and handcrafted to high standards.

Smiling Moose Deli is a Colorado-based chain with more than 18 locations throughout the country. While the restaurants offer a relaxing environment for fast-paced diners and their families, the newest location will add a Denton twist, with live music on the spacious patio.

“This is Denton, and the live music scene is so much a part of the culture around here, we just had to incorporate that with the Smiling Moose concept,” says Jennifer Frank, a partner in the Smiling Moose Deli franchises in Denton and Arlington. “We are the only Smiling Moose location that offers live music. It’s just another example of the corporate entity understanding the local market.”

Some of the Smiling Moose Deli signature favorites include the Mighty Mo!, an award-winning cheeseburger grinder; the not-just-for-vegetarians Green Thumb, and the Hippie Chick P, a tasty combination of hummus, avocado, and cilantro layered with crunchy cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheddar cheese with a few red onions.

Every week Smiling Moose Deli features Free Cookie Wednesday, when customers receive a free cookie of their choice with the purchase of a large sandwich, salad, or wrap. And every Friday is No Meat, No Wheat Friday, when all vegetarian and gluten-free sandwiches are $1 off.

If eating at the restaurant is not an option, Smiling Moose Deli also offers an extensive catering menu that takes the stress out of large gatherings, corporate events, tailgate parties, graduation ceremonies, and any other get-together. Additionally, Smiling Moose’s gluten-free menu has received rave reviews and offers another healthy choice for customers.

Denise Lee Yohn: QSR's Marketing Guru, Growth, News, Sandwiches, Smiling Moose Deli