With the new year comes new trends, new lifestyles, and, apparently, new food options in Towne Lake. McAlister’s Deli, a casual sandwich shop mostly known from its location near Town Center Mall, opened on Eagle Drive on Monday, Jan. 28.

“McAlister’s is one of my favorite delis, and with the new one so close, I’ll be able to grab a sandwich on my way to [swim] practice,” Cole Dallas, sophomore, said.

With cuisine similar to Panera or Atlanta Bread Company, locals are excited for a different menu full of fresh options on their way to school, work, or home.

“I just recently went in for a job interview at McAlister’s, and they had said that their company was really striving to have the best southern hospitality around the area,” Bailey Pron, junior, said.

The menu consists of soups, salads, sandwiches, desserts, spuds, and their “world-famous” sweet tea. Their spuds, aka potatoes, are what sets them apart from the other delis, incorporating the Irish roots of the name “McAlister”.

“Our spuds and sweet tea are a staple at McAlister’s Deli. The tea is brewed all day with premium tea leaves and pure cane sugar so that it stays completely fresh for the public. The spuds are the oversized, baked potatoes we sell. They can come with anything you put your mind to as a topping,” K.C. Philips, junior and McAlister’s employee, said.

McAlister’s Deli is opened to the public on Eagle Drive near the Aldi, so make sure to check it out from 10a.m.-10p.m. every day.