Focaccia bread paninis and steamed tortilla wraps are among the dishes to be served in a new Evanston restaurant that opens today near South Campus.

Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe, 1741 Sherman Ave. is the first of a series of franchises that will open in the Chicago area, said the store’s general manager, Nimisha Patel. Close to 35 Camille’s franchises have already opened, and about 500 are in development nationwide.

A Camille’s on Rosemont Avenue in Chicago will open in next few weeks, and one on Michigan Avenue is set for springtime.

Patel said she wanted to open a restaurant that was unique as well as healthy.

The restaurant offers a variety of hot wraps, sandwiches, salads, breakfast wraps and smoothies. Breakfast, lunch and dinner menus are available, and all entrees are under $6.95.

Beginning in April or May, the restaurant will open its sidewalk seating, with about five tables outside.

Patel said Camille’s hopes to draw student business through an offer tied to the WildCARD program. Any student that buys an entree and presents their WildCARD gets a free beverage — tea, coffee, soda or a smoothie, which she would be about a $3.50 value.

“Our prices are pretty affordable with the value you get,” Patel said.

Patel said the restaurant also offers free WiFi connections.

“Since it’s a nice, cozy place, (students) can just bring their laptops and do their homework here,” Patel said.

Patel, 25, said she hopes to have a chain of restaurants by the time she is 30. She signed with Camille’s to open three more locations: one near O’Hare Airport, one in Vernon Hills and one in Orland Park.

Evanston seemed ideal because of its social environment, Patel said.

“Here, whenever you’re walking down the street, people say ‘Hi,'” Patel said. “Here you feel at home.”

Patel said people have walked by Camille’s and come in before the restaurant has officially opened. She said she had to turn people away but gave them menus to preview.

Weinberg senior Shruthi Shetty accidentally walked in Camille’s during a pre-opening luncheon so she had a chance to look inside. Shetty said she wants to eat there when it opens.

“When you look at it, it seems nice and comfortable,” Shetty said.

Patel said she looked at a variety of franchise restaurants to open, including a Panera Bread location, before she chose Camille’s. She preferred it because of the menu flexibility.

“Panera doesn’t customize a lot of things for vegetarians,” Patel said. Camille’s customers can substitute any item on the menu.

Managers of Panera, 1700 Sherman Ave., could not comment on the competition from Camille’s, but other Evanston restaurant managers said they are not worried.

“It’s not going to hurt me,” said Marina Proutsos, manager of Clarke’s, 720 Clark Ave., adding that she hopes Camille’s will have good business.

Gary Seltzer, owner of Gary Poppins, 1739 Sherman Ave., said he thinks his location next to Camille’s will help his business.

“A lot of people will go from there to us,” Seltzer said.

Patel said after she picked the Evanston location, representatives from the Camille’s franchise surveyed the area before approval. It then took nine months to get the building.

“With the city of Evanston, with having so many restaurants as it is, it was hard to get in,” Patel said.

Camille’s catering manager, Drew Miller, said in addition to serving as a waiter, he will market the restaurant’s catering products. He said he hopes for a good opportunity to make money.

“It seems like an exciting concept, this place,” Miller said.

Camille’s will be open Mondays through Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.