Company plans to have franchises globally.
AB Wire
Popular street-food vendor turned franchise The Halal Guys, with their trademark scrumptious chicken and gyro over rice at two restaurants and four carts throughout New York City, have presented a gift of $30,000 to the LaGuardia Community College Foundation.
The Halal Guys have also 10 franchise restaurants nationwide, and have plans underway to open approximately 335 new franchise locations around the world, according to a press release.
They were joined by representatives of their franchise partner company, Fransmart, which underwrote the gift to LaGuardia as part of a celebration for closing an international deal to expand The Halal Guys franchise to South Korea.
This is the third gift that The Halal Guys have given to LaGuardia—in 2013 they gave $6,000; last year, they gave $7,000. The gifts support The Halal Guys Scholarship Fund at LaGuardia, which was established in 2013 and gives full-time students in good academic standing $1,000 for two semesters of studies. Thus far, their support has gone to more than eight LaGuardia students.
“The Halal Guys are the very best friends our college can have,” said LaGuardia Community College President Gail O. Mellow, in a statement. “They have been unwavering in their support of our students, and this very generous gift from their partner, Fransmart, will ease the financial stress of many of our students.”
The Halal Guys began in 1990, when the three founding partners opened up a hot dog cart on West 53rd & 6th Avenue in New York City. As business grew, they recognized a huge demand from Muslim cab drivers looking for a halal food meal. That is when the famous platter of chicken and gyro over rice was born (with white and red sauces!).
“The Halal Guys scholarship allowed me to complete my final semester at LaGuardia,” said Adeline Romero, who graduated from LaGuardia Community College with a 3.85 GPA, and is now studying political science at John Jay, with plans to pursue a career in public policy and advocacy, in a statement. “The Halal Guys scholarship lightened my financial burden and allowed me to focus on my last class load. The generosity extended to me by The Halal Guys and LaGuardia has inspired me to give back to the community. I hope to pay it forward one day and help other students achieve their goals.”
The Halal Guys have, for many years, operated a cart outside the LaGuardia Community College campus, and a friendship between a faculty member and Hesham Hegazy, The Halal Guys’s Director of Business and Brand Development, spurred their support of the college.
“We’re grateful to Dan Rowe of Fransmart, for making this gift that marks our expansion to South Korea,” said Mohamed Abouelenein, president and co-founder of The Halal Guys. “Three of my children studied at LaGuardia Community College, and all had excellent experiences—they enjoyed their time here and were very well prepared for the next chapters of their education—transferring to four-year schools. Through my children, I know the value of this college first-hand, and so I’m very pleased that we’re able to support it with this scholarship fund.”
Abdelbaset Elsayed and Ahmed Elsaka, co-founders of The Halal Guys with Abouelenein, attended the check presentation at LaGuardia Community College. Two Halal Guys Scholars at LaGuardia attended as well.