Palestine, get ready for stacked sandwiches, loaded baked potatoes, and a big glass of sweet tea.
McAlister’s Deli is preparing to open its first Palestine location at 2215 South Loop 256.
Plans call for the former Wendy’s at the site to be converted into a 2,950-square-foot McAlister’s Deli. The project carries an estimated construction cost of $550,000, with work scheduled from August 24 through December 7, 2026.
McAlister’s Is Moving Into a Former Wendy’s
Rather than building from the ground up, the project will reuse and remodel the existing restaurant building along South Loop 256.
The conversion brings McAlister’s to South Loop 256 in Palestine, giving an existing restaurant site a new purpose.
The state registration, TABS2026028498, identifies the work as a conversion of a Wendy’s into a McAlister’s Deli.
KLTV identifies the project as McAlister’s first location in Palestine.
What McAlister’s Brings to Palestine
McAlister’s Deli traces its roots to Oxford, Mississippi, where the first restaurant opened in 1989. Its original home was an abandoned movie-set diner, giving the brand its own history of turning an existing space into a neighborhood gathering place.
The menu centers on deli sandwiches, soups, salads, giant baked potatoes known as spuds, desserts, and the brand’s signature sweet tea.
The McAlister’s Club layers turkey, Black Forest ham, and bacon with sharp cheddar, Swiss, spring mix, and tomato on wheat bread. Mayo and honey mustard finish a sandwich that brings savory, smoky, and sweet flavors together.
For something you need a fork to tackle, the Spud Max loads a baked potato with ham, turkey, bacon, cheddar-jack, green onion, and black olives. Butter spread and sour cream come on the side. This is a potato built to be the meal.
A New Use for an Existing Restaurant Site
The Palestine project reuses an existing restaurant building. The filing describes the conversion, but does not confirm the new restaurant’s service features or opening-day menu.
For local diners, the change brings a different lunch lineup to this address: sandwiches, spuds, and sweet tea.
The registered schedule targets construction completion on December 7, 2026. That date is a construction milestone, not an announced opening day.
A confirmed opening date was not identified in the sources reviewed.
A stacked club or a loaded spud? Palestine will have a new lunch decision to make when McAlister’s opens its doors.