July-August . 2021 | Glam Halal
Personality
31
The ‘ McDonald ’ s of halal ’
Shah ’ s Halal Food boasts 17 storefront locations across Long Island and two more in Freeport and Stony Brook
KHALID MASHRIQI , the fastgrowing Shah ’ s Halal Food CEO , has a long-term goal - to become “ the McDonald ’ s of halal .” However , the target might be reached sooner than expected , given the company ’ s current quick rate of expansion .
“ There ’ s McDonald ’ s , Arby ’ s , Subway and Wendy ’ s … but nothing for halal ,” says Mashriqi , noting the current fast-food landscape .
According to Islamic law , the Arabic term “ halal ” generally refers to the specific acceptable method of slaughtering animals .
The company was started by Mashriqi ’ s father Ibrahim and two business partners , Shafiq Mashriqi and Rahimullah Mashriqi . Almost 60 per cent of Shah ’ s corporate staff is made up of his family members .
Khalid , 37 , came to the U . S . with his family from Afghanistan in the early 1980s . Since 2016 , he has taken overall business operations .
“ We started this business in 2005 , with just a single food cart on 121st Street and Liberty Avenue in Richmond Hill , Queens ,” he says .
“ We prepared all the foods at home , using a small kitchen and a garage , at first . Everything kicked off from there . We opened one and then another until we arrived at where we are today .”
Today , Shah ’ s Halal Food boasts 17 storefront locations across Long Island and two more on the way in Freeport and Stony Brook , as well as a network of both branded and unbranded food carts across New York City .
Some other locations include Connecticut , Massachusetts , New Jersey and California . There is also a United Kingdom operation with several food trucks operating under contract with the London transit system .
Khalid , who graduated from Queens College with a degree in political science , said he had an “ entrepreneurial mind ” from early on . He spearheaded the branding of Shah ’ s Halal with the opening of storefront spots in 2016 .
Although most stores are now corporateowned , Khalid said , “ Interest is high in franchises .” He also plans to offer franchises soon . The price point is going to be affordable , he says , possibly in the US $ 20,000-US $ 25,000 range upfront , and then an ongoing percentage of store profits .
Competition for halal fast-food consumers continues to grow across LI and beyond . Research firm Technavio says the U . S . halal
We started this business in 2005 , with just a single food cart on 121st Street and Liberty Avenue in Richmond Hill , Queens .”
market will grow by US $ 8 billion through the end of 2024 , fueled primarily by a rising U . S . Muslim population .
However , Khalid said most of his customers were non-Muslim . They are those who like the freshness of their food and their unique tastes . Among Shah ’ s most popular dishes are the signature chicken and rice platter and gyros , which are core menu items in addition to chicken sandwiches , Philly cheesesteaks , hot wings , and burgers .
All of Shah ’ s food is prepared in its own U . S . Department of Agriculture facility in Jamaica , Mashriqi says .
The Halal Guys gives sneak peek of redesign
THE HALAL Guys has unveiled renderings of its redesigned restaurant concept , which pays tribute to its roots as a New York City street cart .
According to Margaret Carrera , chief development officer , some Covid-19 pandemic safety precautions were also incorporated in the design .
“ It has been six years since we opened our first franchised restaurant . While we are proud of our early stores , The Halal Guys ’ brand has evolved ,” she said in a Press release .
“ We hope the new design pays homage to the origins of The Halal Guys while continuing the evolution of the brand well into the 21st century .”
Rubber and Road Creative , a San Franciscobased brand strategy and retail design firm , created the design incorporating hinged graphic metal panels . These subway tiles conjure images of city cabs and urban trains and manhole covers on the floor of the ordering queue as a nod to the experience of visiting the original New York City street cart .
The open concept provides transparency and allows customers to see everything safely prepared from the grill and skewers , said Brent White , design director of Rubber and Road .
“ We developed a great design language that allowed us to be flexible during COVID ,” he said in the release .
“ Chevron graphics on the floor were already part of the plan to streamline the flow of traffic for customers eating in , third-party deliveries , web and to-go orders . We also incorporated Plexi-glass panels and sketch art on the protective glass to reinforce branding while maintaining protocols for safety .”
The new concept of the restaurant will also include two seating options that cater to individuals and communal gatherings . Customers are free to choose between comfortable banquet park bench-style seating around New York City-themed photo tables or window barstools .
Enhancing the customer experience and ensuring safety have been key factors in The Halal Guys ’ growth strategy over the past year .
In 2020 , The Halal Guys launched a userfriendly website and POS system as a platform to inform and educate customers . It will inform current and prospective franchisees of the latest company news , services and Covid- 19 safety protocols . The store redesigns also follow the brand ’ s 30th-anniversary celebration and re-launch of its mobile application .
With more than 90 locations worldwide , the brand plans to open another 400 units over the next few years .
Halal cold brew – the latest trend
Halal is provided to food that has been produced and processed according to Islamic law . Malaysia , Singapore , Taiwan , Thailand , and Korea all recognise KMF as a halal certification organisation .
Hy Coffee Cold Brew , launched in 2016 , saw daily sales average out to over 100,000 units each day in the first summer after its debut . The beverage achieved over 16 million total sales in a single year when it was released , and now it is a burgeoning RTD ( ready-to-drink ) market wave .
Hy Cold Brew had over 910,000 units exported in its first year , and sales grew over 200 per cent in a year ; last year , 2.7 million units were sold overseas . This year ’ s exports exceeded the previous year ’ s in the first four months .
With halal certification , the path was opened for international exports to Southeast Asia , which has a sizeable Muslim population .
Two Latte items and Americano are also being worked on for KMF certification .
The consultancy firm Addwise , located in Ahmedabad , stated : “ It is estimated that 70 per cent of 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide follow halal food standards . The global halal market is about US $ 600 billion . Today , halal trademark is an important marketing tool in the international arena , particularly aimed at Muslim countries .”