The Halal Guys

The Halal Guys is a Manhattan-origin halal fast-casual concept that started as a 1990 food cart on the corner of 53rd and 6th and is now a global franchise with units across the United States and internationally. The brand built its reputation on a tightly defined menu — gyros, chicken-and-rice platters, and the now-iconic white sauce — and a franchise model that rewards multi-unit operators capable of navigating the operational specifics of halal sourcing and high-throughput service. Motivant carries a franchisee / area-developer position, consistent with how the firm is positioned across QSR more broadly. No public M&A release ties Motivant to the franchisor brand; the position is at the property and unit-economics layer rather than at the corporate brand layer. The vertical sits inside the firm under Sal Afridi, who leads food service alongside the rest of the hospitality and real-estate work.

• Origin: 1990 Manhattan food cart, now a global franchise
• Motivant operates as franchisee/area-developer, not the corporate franchisor
• Tightly defined menu and operationally specific halal sourcing favor multi-unit operators