The Halal Guys Will Become an International Chain

Beloved street meat vendor the Halal Guys has just signed a deal with Fransmart, the franchise consulting firm responsible for both Five Guys and Qdoba, to turn the Midtown food cart into a restaurant chain. According to the Times, Fransmart hopes to have Halal Guys outposts throughout the East Coast, Canada, Los Angeles, and the Middle East within a year. Within five years, it hopes to have 100 locations, including some in Europe. Fransmart's chief executive Dan Rowe believes it will become "the Chipotle of Middle Eastern food." Meanwhile, owners Mohamed Abouelenein, Ahmed Elsaka and Abdelbaset Elsayed also have not one but two un-franchised brick and mortar locations in the works in New York.

The Times reports that the first brick and mortar Halal Guys outpost, which has long been in the works in the East Village, is now just a month away from opening on 14th Street. Meanwhile, the team is also working on a second outpost near Columbia University, which should be open by the fall. Work on both of these started before the franchise deal was made, so they'll operate independently of Fransmart. There are also four Halal Guys carts around the city, alongside the original, which still regularly draws lines down the block on 53rd and Sixth Avenue.
· The Halal Guys: Cashing in on Street Cred [NYT]
· All Coverage of The Halal Guys [~ENY~]