The Halal Guys are one of the most popular food trucks in New York City and have arrived here in Atlanta, Georgia! The Halal Guys chose Buford Highway as the location for their first, Atlanta dine-in establishment. Buford is well-known for its’ ethnic and cultural diversity. Several multicultural establishments makeup the landscape along Buford Highway and The Halal Guys are sure to stand out.
During their soft opening nights, as in New York, The Halal Guys attracted people from many different backgrounds and the restaurant kept booming with a line of customers. “This is crazy! They had their first soft opening Monday and it’s been like this since. We didn’t even do any advertising for this,” said Morgan Collete of M-Squared Public Relations, the PR company contracted for the grand opening.
The Halal Guys started in 1990 in the streets of New York on 53rd and 6th. That’s where our original cart started. Everything started in a push cart in the middle of Manhattan,” said Juan Bustamante, the Cooperate Director of Training. “Our original partners, the owners, are from Egypt. They had the vision to fulfill the needs of our old, Muslim cab drivers back then in New York. Through the years, the company has grown to be what it is right now. We’re all over the world, expanding very quickly and our customer base is all kinds of people coming in and enjoying the food.”
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Of the many guest to make an appearance was popular and fun food blogger Julius Mayo, better known as Droolius. Mayo, a photographer by trade who fell into social media marketing, is well known throughout Florida and frequently covers food in major markets such as L.A. and New York City. Mayo is now based here in Atlanta and shared his enthusiasm for the arrival of The Halal Guys. “You travel to New York for The Halal Guys and now that they’re franchising throughout the country, it’s almost a nostalgic thing for people to come to The Halal Guys. They stood in the long lines and I’m sure there will be long lines here in the upcoming weeks. People know them for great food, late night, and now there’s a place to sit down and you’re not hanging out on the curbs of New York eating or bringing it home. You actually get to sit down and enjoy the food. It’s basically bringing New York to people in the South.” – Julius Mayo Jr. (follow him on social media @droolius)
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“We’re bringing all the excitement of the streets of New York to a brick and motor restaurant,” said Bustamante. “We’re happy to have them (Georgians) here, enjoy the food and find out what it’s all about (The Halal Guys)”
The Halal Guys are experiencing one of their best months in business. The owners plan to open a second location in Midtown and a food truck later this year. If you are looking for something new to taste, already a fan or simply interested in making a visit to Buford, give The Halal Guys a try.
The Halal Guys are located at 4929 Buford Highway. Here are more photos from the event. You can reach Tiara Brittne by contacting her at tiarabrittne@gmail.com.
