New York City street food cart turned fast-casual restaurant chain, The Halal Guys, is headed to Columbus.
Smart Choice Food LLC is bringing seven franchised locations around Columbus, and the first one will be located at 6181 Sawmill Rd. in Dublin.
After an increasing demand for halal food from New York taxi drivers in 1990, The Halal Guys’ three founders left their old hot dog cart behind and started serving up halal-friendly platters and sandwiches.

Best known for their craveable white sauce and customizable platters, The Halal Guys specialize in quality halal meals that are seasoned to perfection and served with kind hospitality.
The menu at The Halal Guys will include sandwiches, hummus, baba ganouj, falafel, and baklava. “We could not be more excited to join the Columbus community and welcome Central Ohioans to our diverse fan base,” said Andrew Eck, Marketing Director for The Halal Guys. “I highly recommend testing your spice tolerance with our fan-favorite hot sauce!”
“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 in 2021 when the expansion was announced. “This is a diverse city full of strong, resilient and welcoming people, and we wanted to be a part of that.”
Construction has already started at the Sawmill Rd. location, but no opening date has been announced yet.
To learn more about The Halal Guys, you can visit their website at https://thehalalguys.com/.