The Halal Guys facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Halal Guys |
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Line at the cart (2007)
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| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1990 |
| Current owner(s) | Mohamed Abouelenein Ahmed Elsaka Abdelbaset Elsayed via The Halal Guys Franchise Inc. |
| Food type | Halal, Middle Eastern cuisine |
| Street address | Corners of 53rd Street and Sixth Avenue (main and second locations) |
| City | Manhattan, New York City |
| State | New York |
| Postal/ZIP code | 10019 |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 40°45′42″N 73°58′45″W / 40.76180°N 73.97928°W |
The Halal Guys is a halal fast casual restaurant franchise that began as halal carts on the southeast and southwest corners of 53rd Street and Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, New York City. New locations, both food cart and storefront, are being added throughout New York (including a storefront on 14th Street and Second Avenue) and around the world.
The franchise is most recognized by its primary dish which is a platter of chicken or gyro meat with rice, though it also serves a chicken or gyro wrap sandwich.
History
The Halal Guys was founded in 1990 by Egyptian-descendant Mohamed Abouelenein, along with compatriots Ahmed Elsaka and Abdelbaset Elsayed, as a hot dog cart located at the southeast corner of 53rd Street and Sixth Avenue. Abouelenein, however, believed that a hot dog was not a satisfying meal, and switched to the current menu of chicken, gyro meat, rice, and pita in 1992. As a result, New York City's Muslim cab drivers flocked to the cart for its ability to provide a quick, relatively inexpensive halal meal. As word of mouth spread via these cab drivers, the operators created the signature dish, a platter of chicken and rice which was popularized within the Muslim community in the city.
The cart has caused a decline in the popularity of hot dog vendors in New York City and has influenced many imitation carts. A cart called "New York's Best Halal Food" is also located on the southwest corner of 53rd Street and Sixth Avenue. It is unknown which cart was located at the intersection first.
The Halal Guys donated $30,000 to LaGuardia Community College in 2016 with the money intended to fund scholarships for students experiencing financial hardships.
Food
The Halal Guys serves "American halal" platters and sandwiches, prepared using ingredients such as chicken, gyro meat, falafel and rice. The taste has been described as entailing a complex melting pot of flavors originating from the Mediterranean and Middle East. The Halal Guys also serve a white sauce condiment which patrons cite as a favorite and has been described as "famous". A "distant cousin of tzatziki", the Halal Guys' white sauce has been the subject of multiple recreations based on ingredients on to-go packets, but to no avail. A similar condiment is found at all or most other halal carts in New York City, but the recipe likely often varies from cart to cart. The Halal Guys also prepares a red hot sauce.
Franchising
In June of 2014, Halal Guys hired Fransmart, a franchise development company that had previously worked with Qdoba Mexican Grill and Five Guys and had sold 350 franchises as of March 2016. Within the first year of launching their franchise expansion campaign they closed deals for California; New Jersey; Connecticut; Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Houston and Austin, Texas; Chicago, Illinois, as well as international deals for Canada, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.
