B.GOOD, a fast casual restaurant with a locally sourced, wholesome menu, has signed a franchise development agreement to open 10 restaurants in the Houston, Texas, area, marking the brand’s first U.S. push beyond the East Coast.

Under the agreement, LGNS Healthy Foods, LLC is expected to open its first B.GOOD restaurant in Houston in the second quarter of 2018.The first location is set to open in Springwoods Village in north Houston. The development agreement also calls for nine more restaurant openings over the next several years in the Houston area, making it the largest franchise deal since B.GOOD launched in 2004.

B.GOOD currently has 65 restaurants opened in 11 states on the East Coast, as well as in Canada, Germany and Switzerland. B.GOOD expects to have more than 80 restaurants—both corporate-owned and franchised—by the end of 2018, including several in new U.S. markets like Texas. B.GOOD features a broad menu with kale and grain bowls, seasonal salads, all-natural burgers, smoothies, sides and kids’ meals.

“We look forward to working with the LGNS Healthy Foods, LLC team to bring B.GOOD and our ‘Food With Roots’ values, menu and community focus to Texas,” says Anthony Ackil, CEO and co-founder of B.GOOD. “While we continue to expand and invest in our corporate restaurants, we are also accelerating our growth by partnering with like-minded franchisees who believe in our brand’s wholesome food, sourcing from local independent farmers, and our commitment to local communities.”

LGNS Healthy Foods, LLC is an experienced multi-unit operator of a large hamburger chain in Mexico, and B.GOOD represents the franchising company’s first restaurants in the U.S.

“The better-for-you fast casual segment is growing and attracting consumers who want healthier options that are good for their families and good for their community,” says Juan Lecanda, CEO of LGNS Healthy Foods, LLC. “We see tremendous potential for the B.GOOD brand in the Houston area, where we’ll get the best ingredients from local farmers and serve healthy, delicious and fresh menu items that are appealing to a broad range of customers.”

B.GOOD continues to seek franchisees and multi-unit operators for existing and new markets. According to Ackil, B.GOOD plans to expand in the coming years to key U.S. markets including Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, and Denver, as well as across Texas and Florida.