photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

Andy Bradley, owner of Lawrence's Hummus Republic, stirs some fresh made hummus.

In the latest bowl matchup, it is beans versus chickpeas. (Bet on the chickpeas to get smashed. They’re best that way.) Wait, this isn’t the latest college football bowl. This is a battle of fast-food restaurants — one that’s made a big name for itself serving beans and rice and another who hopes to do so by bringing some Mediterranean flavors to the contest.

A new California chain has chosen Lawrence as its first Kansas location for a restaurant that some have called a Mediterranean version of Chipotle.

Hummus Republic has recently opened in south Lawrence in the shopping center that includes Home Depot and Best Buy near 31st and Iowa Streets. As the name suggests, the restaurant is all about hummus, the savory Mediterranean dip/spread that is made with chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic and a host of other spices.

photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

Hummus Republic, located in the shopping center at 31st and Iowa Street that includes Best Buy, is pictured on Nov. 25, 2024.

Like Chipotle, the restaurant is a quick-service operation where customers go to a bar full of ingredients and have workers build a custom creation for them. Again, like Chipotle, bowls and wraps are among the most popular offerings.

But the two restaurants diverge pretty quickly after that. Instead of rice, Hummus Republic uses couscous or organic chickpeas as the base of their bowl or wrap creations. Instead of beans, patrons can pile on the hummus, with about a half-dozen styles to choose from. Next, you can add a protein of your choice, including multiple styles of chicken, beef, lamb, mushrooms and other options.

Then, there are the toppings. Diners can choose as many as they like, and they may need to spend some time strategizing. There’s your standbys like tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and even feta cheese and Kalamata olives for a little salty zing. But get out the chalkboard to draw up a play for some unusual offerings that include chickpea croutons, fried eggplant, stuffed grape leaves, artichoke hearts, and for good measure, beets. In all, there’s more than 15 offerings on the toppings bar.

The end result is a menu that allows for a large number of vegetarian or vegan options.

“We are on the healthy side of it for sure,” local franchise owner Andy Bradley said of what will make Hummus Republic stand out in the Lawrence dining scene.

photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

Food offerings are shown at the Hummus Republic in Lawrence on Nov. 25, 2024.

A fair amount of spice also may be a signature of the shop. Bradley said he’s personally experimented with several types of spicy bowls for his own dining creations. Among the restaurant’s hummus offerings is a harissa hummus, which traditionally features a blend of smoked, hot chili peppers.

The restaurant, 2000 W. 31st Street, also has a sauce bar that offers additional spice. There is a Moroccan-style hot sauce, in addition to a couple of styles of tahini, which is a sesame-based Mediterranean sauce that Hummus Republic kicks up with a roasted red chili pepper version of the sauce. Then, there’s grandma’s hot sauce. I can’t swear to what’s in it, but it is a bright green sauce, and based on some videos the chain has released, it looks like it makes ample use of jalapeños.

“It is pretty spicy,” Bradley said.

While bowls and wraps are popular items on the menu, the restaurant also features pitas, which gives a little more variety to the menu. That means you can get a pretty traditional gyro at Hummus Republic, if you so choose. The restaurant’s protein options include gyro beef or lamb, cut from a cone of meat. It also includes chicken shawarma, a Middle Eastern dish that traditionally includes a spice mix that is heavy on coriander, cumin, cardamom, cayenne and a few other spices that actually don’t begin with the letter ‘c.’ Also on the menu is falafel, a Middle Eastern fritter that involves ground chickpeas, lots of spices and a crispy deep-fried crust.

Also on the menu are pita chips to go with big bowls of hummus, and sweet potato fries that come loaded with eggplant, fried jalapeños, olives, tahini sauce and more.

Hummus Republic got its start in California in 2012, and has been offering franchises since 2018. Lawrence is the first Kansas location, with the next closest restaurant in the Boulder, Colo. area.

Bradley, who is an Ottawa native, said the KU population definitely was a key reason he chose the Lawrence market. He thinks health-conscious students and others in the community are going to like the wide number of ingredients and the ability to build their meals from scratch.

“There are just so many options,” Bradley said.