The Growth Formula of Shah’s Halal: Few Ingredients, Centralized Supply, Franchise

The story of Shah’s Halal Food began in 2005 with a single food cart in Richmond Hill, Queens, New York. Founded by the Mashriqi family, the initial products were meaty gyros and rice plates that combined family recipes from Afghanistan with New York's "halal cart" format. The brand began transitioning to fixed restaurants in 2016 and expanded internationally in the following years.

This growth may seem like a result of increasing demand for halal food at first glance. However, the more significant aspect of the Shah’s Halal case from an operator's perspective is the relative simplicity of the kitchen model despite the expanding branch network. Instead of completely changing the core ingredients and preparation system when adding new products, the brand uses the same proteins, rice, pita, salads, and sauces in different serving styles.

The Menu Grew, the Core Production Remained Largely the Same

The basic menu of the initial food carts consisted of gyro and rice-based products. Today's menu includes rice plates and gyros made with chicken, a mix of beef and lamb, lamb, meatballs, falafel, and fish, along with burgers, chicken sandwiches, cheesesteak products, wings, various potatoes, and salads.

Although the number of products has increased, the architecture of the menu is centered around recurring components. Chicken or meat products can be served over rice, in pita, in salad, or in sandwich format. White sauce, hot sauce, green pepper chutney, and other sauces also connect different categories.

This structure can provide a significant operational advantage. Using the same ingredients in different products limits inventory items, training needs, and preparation stations while offering customers a broader perception of choice. Menu growth can be achieved without establishing an entirely new production system for each new product.

However, this advantage is valid as long as menu control can be maintained. When burgers, wings, cheesesteaks, and specialty potato products begin to require different equipment, preparation times, or stock durations from the main dishes, the simplicity of the original model may weaken. The critical metric the chain must monitor is not the number of products; it is how much each product's sales volume, contribution margin, preparation time, and the extent to which it uses existing ingredients.

The Halal Promise is Also a Supply Chain Promise

Shah’s Halal defines itself as a 100% halal certified brand. The company's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document states that the meats comply with halal standards, are processed under USDA and health regulations, and that the group companies have their own processing facilities and production stations.

According to Nation’s Restaurant News, the company has a USDA-inspected meat processing facility and a centralized production kitchen. This structure is one of the elements that facilitate halal raw material supply and the replication of recipes across different restaurants.

It should not be confused that "USDA inspection" and "halal certification" are separate processes. USDA inspection relates to food safety and meat processing legislation, while halal certification pertains to the product's compliance with religious standards. The brand must clearly show the current certification scope in each market, the certifying organization, and which products are included in the certification.

Centralized production can reduce flavor and portion differences between branches. However, high dependency on a single or limited number of facilities increases the risk of cold chain disruptions, product recalls, and capacity shortages. As the number of branches increases, the centralized production capacity, backup supply plans, and traceability systems must be developed at the same pace.

Franchise Growth Requires Training Before Recipes

According to the company's official franchise page, a two-week mandatory training is implemented for business owners and managers at one of the restaurants in New York. The program focuses on customer experience, product preparation, waste management, and daily operations; training videos and an operations manual are also provided.

While such training is necessary for transferring recipes, it is not sufficient alone for rapid franchising. Ongoing field support after the franchisee opens the restaurant, food safety inspections, manager development, product cost tracking, and intervention systems for low-performing branches are also important.

In Shah’s Halal's location strategy, neighborhoods with high historical and cultural diversity that bring together different consumer groups stand out. Company statements indicate growth in smaller but diversifying communities alongside major metropolitan areas.

This approach allows the brand to reach not only Muslim consumers but also a broader customer base looking for fast, affordable, and diverse street food. However, "diverse population" alone does not guarantee location success. Lunch and dinner traffic, delivery demand, rent, student population, competitor density, and the actual demand for halal products in the neighborhood should be evaluated separately.

Signature Sauce Transformed into a Brand Touchpoint Outside the Restaurant

Shah’s Halal's white sauce has been transformed into a separate consumer product beyond being a condiment used throughout the menu. The company sells the product in its online store; brand managers are also moving some sauces to retail channels.

This move is valuable in two ways. First, the sauce combines different proteins and dishes under the same brand flavor. Second, consumers can relate to the product outside the restaurant.

However, transforming a restaurant recipe into a packaged product requires a separate operation. Shelf life, allergen labeling, packaging, distribution, returns, and retail pricing differ from in-restaurant sauce production. Packaged products can provide additional income for the restaurant chain; however, they only become a meaningful channel when product quality and inventory turnover can be maintained.

Average Sales Figures Hide Differences Between Branches

Shah’s Halal's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document highlights differences in branch performance as much as the scaling of the chain.

According to the document, as of December 31, 2024, there were 73 Shah’s Halal restaurants operating in the U.S. Of these, 50 restaurants that operated for a full year, shared sales data completely, and were not directly managed by the company had an average gross sales of approximately $1.45 million in 2024. The highest sales reported were approximately $4.46 million, while the lowest sales were $372,000. Only 33.33% of the restaurants reached the average.

The average gross sales of the top 10 restaurants were approximately $2.81 million, while the average of the bottom 10 restaurants was at $635,000. The difference in between shows how location, opening year, operator competence, rent, customer traffic, and local competition can create significantly different results within the chain.

This data does not provide profitability information. The FDD explicitly states that it does not offer comparable data on food, labor, and other operating costs. Therefore, the average sales of $1.45 million do not indicate how much a franchise restaurant earns or how quickly it will pay back its investment.

Franchise investors should examine the results of branches with similar rent, population, delivery, and store format rather than the system average.

What Lessons Can Be Drawn for Businesses in Turkey?

The Shah’s Halal model is not a recipe that can be directly copied to Turkey. The context of the halal food market in Turkey has a different market context than the strategy to reach a small consumer group with limited service in the U.S.

However, there are lessons to be drawn from the operational model. When a street food or local recipe is being franchised, a repeatable production core should be established instead of multiplying the number of products first. Signature sauce or garnish can unite different products under a common flavor identity. Centralized production should be planned while supporting quality, along with logistics and traceability risks.

In terms of franchise growth, standardization should occur in recipes, training, supply, field audits, and branch economics before signage. The performance of the best-selling restaurant should not be presented as an example for the entire system; the differences between lower and upper branches should be clearly shown to investors.

Stafflink’s View

The fundamental strength behind Shah’s Halal's growth comes not from developing a very broad menu but from adapting a few core ingredients to different consumption moments. Rice plates, gyros, salads, and sandwiches operate as different presentations of the same production core.

The centralized meat processing and production system can support halal standards while ensuring flavor consistency. Franchise training and signature sauce also complement this structure.

In our view, the main risk is that branch growth progresses faster than the supporting infrastructure. Even the inconsistency in the publicly disclosed location numbers highlights the importance of data management in rapidly growing systems.

The long-term success of the chain should be measured not by the total number of restaurants but by contribution margin per branch, product consistency, food safety, franchise satisfaction, and customer repeat rates. Maintaining the authenticity of the food cart can be valuable. However, the element that sustains the global chain is the operational system that can transform this experience into the same standard across every shift.