---
title: "New Franchising Deal Will Bring NYC’s Legendary The Halal Guys to Ohio"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/f3e9d250-acde-4fe6-9bbd-6acb3b604bf5
source: "Franchising.com"
original_url: https://www.franchising.com/news/20210318_new_franchising_deal_will_bring_nycs_legendary_the_halal_guys_to_ohio.html
category: "Fast casual"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Fast casual"
topics: ["Development & multi-unit"]
published: 2021-03-18T12:00:00.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T02:30:43.579Z
image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1554469384-e58fac16e23a?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop
---

# New Franchising Deal Will Bring NYC’s Legendary The Halal Guys to Ohio

**TL;DR:** The Halal Guys signed a franchise deal to open seven locations in Ohio, expanding its presence in the Midwest. Smart Choice Food LLC will bring the New York City street cart food experience to Ohio diners.

*originally published in Franchising.com on 2021-03-18. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/news/20210318_new_franchising_deal_will_bring_nycs_legendary_the_halal_guys_to_ohio.html).*

## Story

The Halal Guys is the original creator of American Halal Food. The concept became a well-known New York City brand largely via word-of-mouth thanks to Muslim cab drivers in the 90’s who appreciated delicious, fresh and well-priced American Halal Food.

Smart Choice Food LLC is eager to bring the quintessential New York City street cart food experience to Ohio diners.

“The economy in Columbus was on the upswing prior to COVID-19, but it was the people and sense of community that really got us interested in bringing The Halal Guys to the area,” said franchisees Mohamed Alwah, Yara Fardous and Sam Saad. “This is a diverse city full of strong, resilient and welcoming people, and we wanted to be a part of that.”

“We were passionate customers before we became franchise partners, and whenever we visited New York or Chicago, our first (of many) stops was always The Halal Guys,” added Smart Choice Food LLC. “We believe in this brand and are confident it will be successful in Columbus.”

## Entities

- Franchising.com (publication)
- Restaurants (sector)
- new york (location)
- ohio (location)
- franchise deal (topic)
- new locations (topic)
- Columbus (location)
- midwest expansion (topic)
- The Halal Guys (company)

---
Originally reported by Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/news/20210318_new_franchising_deal_will_bring_nycs_legendary_the_halal_guys_to_ohio.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/f3e9d250-acde-4fe6-9bbd-6acb3b604bf5).