America’s top halal food restaurant eyes continued domestic and international expansion
With the opening of a new Pittsburgh location, The Halal Guys, the fast-casual American halal restaurant famous for pioneering halal fare in America, marks its milestone 100th restaurant by celebrating its success and continuing its strong global expansion.
The Halal Guys was discovered by Dan Rowe, CEO of Fransmart when it was just a single food cart in midtown Manhattan. With Fransmart’s guidance, the brand began franchising in 2014 and has grown into an international sensation with restaurants in the United States, Canada, UK, Indonesia and South Korea. Upcoming store openings in North Carolina, Missouri and Ohio, will bring the brand’s domestic presence to 20 states and counting.
“We are so grateful to reach this historic milestone as a business. From a food cart on the streets of New York City to an international franchise, we would not be here without the support of our first fans and customers. We thrive off growth and innovation and are excited to see what comes next,” says Ahmed Abouelenein, CEO of The Halal Guys.
The Halal Guys is the largest halal restaurant concept in the world. Foodies around the world love the brand’s delicious platters and gyros. The Halal Guys was named one of the top 10 fast casual restaurants by USA Today, and Business Insider deemed its chicken and gyro platter the best street food in New York.
“It’s really been a dream to be part of growing the largest Middle Eastern chain in the world,” said Rowe. “The food and the story of The Halal Guys are both amazing. It’s truly the American Dream story brought to life and I’m lucky to be a part of it. The Halal Guys is, and will continue to be the largest, fastest and most dominant halal restaurant brand in the world all thanks to our amazing teams and customers.”
The Halal Guys is continuing its domination of the halal restaurant market worldwide as it is actively eyeing development in the Middle East, Europe and the UK.
The Halal Guys grew from humble beginnings as a food cart on the streets of New York City to a global icon known as the original and largest American halal street food concept in the world.
The food cart was first parked on the corner of 53rd and 6th Avenue in 1990 by three like-minded men from Egypt who came to America in search of a better life. When the founders noticed many Muslim cab drivers in New York City were looking for a place to buy halal food in Manhattan, they created their first food cart that quickly grew into a leading destination for American Halal fare. In 2014, The Halal Guys began expanding its authentic halal cuisine from the food cart into restaurants and now operates 101 stores within the United States, Canada, Indonesia, South Korea and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.thehalalguys.com.
As the leading franchise development firm in the country, Fransmart turns emerging restaurant concepts into successful national and global brands. Founded by Dan Rowe, the man who identified and grew brands such as Five Guys Burgers & Fries and QDOBA Mexican Grill from single unit businesses to the powerhouse chains they are today, Fransmart’s formula for success is finding emerging brands ripe for expansion and building successful multi-unit franchise businesses across the U.S. and globally. Fransmart’s current and past franchise development portfolio brands have opened more than 5,000 restaurants worldwide, and facilitated franchise investments that have cumulatively generated 1-billion in revenue to date. For more information, visit www.fransmart.com.
