The Halal Guys’ newest Colorado location will open at 8241 Northfield Blvd Denver, CO 80238 later this year, according to Co-Franchisee Kevin Than. Than and Chris Bui also own The Halal Guys in Aurora and have their eyes set on various surrounding cities for further expansion.
The Halal Guys started in the ‘90s as a mobile food cart serving fast, delicious chicken, gyro, and falafel creations on the southeast and southwest corners of 53rd Street and Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, New York City. The restaurant then commenced spreading throughout New York in both food cart and brick-and-mortar form. Today, they’re a global enterprise with hundreds of new restaurants in development — including Than and Bui’s exciting, forthcoming operation.
That said, What Now Denver caught up with Kevin Than to receive some details about their newest store and the ones to come:
WND: Why The Halal Guys?
KT: We began franchising with The Halal Guys back in 2019. It was important to both of us that we franchised with a brand we not only knew but loved. We also wanted to be part of something that had some brand power and came from a place like Los Angeles or New York.
WND: Where do you think you’ll open next?
KT: We’ve been eyeing a lot of different cities and expanding our scope to anywhere in the Denver Metro, the suburbs, and even as far as Boulder, Colorado Springs, and Fort Collins.
There had been a lot of questions as to why we hadn’t opened anything in Denver yet, so we knew it was time. It fits our brand very well. Also, operationally, the proximity of our stores helps ensure quality.
WND: What stage of the process are you currently in with this new store?
KT: We’re probably about halfway through. We would love to already be open, but stuff with the city of Denver and things being bogged down by the pandemic have slowed things down from a development standpoint. So, right now, we’re in the permitting phase.
We’re targeting an opening as soon as possible, but more realistically would be sometime around the end of the year.
WND: What has remained most important to you throughout your franchising experience?
KT: Quality and customer service. Chris and I are local operators, so we are consistently in our stores at least three to five days a week helping make food because we like to support our staff.
We also have an amazing, incredible staff and we’re lucky that our GM is so great as well. He has something like 26 years of experience in the restaurant industry and he’s been able to really connect with the staff which has been a godsend for us because it allows us to focus on expansion and not have to worry about our team.
