Chicken News
Southlake gets first taste of New York's favorite chicken-rice concept
Chicken and rice are headed for Southlake: The Halal Guys, the renowned gyro and chicken giant from New York, will open a location in the Gateway Plaza Shopping Center at 3000 E. Southlake Blvd.
According to a release, the restaurant will open in the spring.
The Halal Guys started out as a humble New York street cart before growing a massive cult following, with locations in nine states across the U.S.
Their cuisine is a melting pot of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavors, with their signature dish being flavorful chicken on a bed of rice, topped with distinctive red and white sauces. They also do gyros and falafel platters, but keep the menu pretty simple.
They first entered the Dallas market in 2016 with a location on Lemmon Avenue — an opening that drew long lines in the heat of summer. They've since opened six more restaurants in the area including Greenville Avenue and Richardson.
The only Halal Guys in Tarrant County so far is in Arlington. Southlake will be the third location for franchisee Shezad Jiwani, whose other two are in Plano and Carrollton.
"I am so excited to bring this iconic concept to Southlake," Jiwani says in a statement. "The Halal Guys is the classic American dream story that started with a street cart in New York City and now has franchises around the world. We look forward to serving the Southlake community our famous combo platter — with extra white sauce and hot sauce on the side — that started with the original carts off 53rd and 6th in Manhattan."
The location is in a former Saladworks (and before that, a Starbucks). CBRE VP Thurston Witt says it's an ideal spot for delicious chicken and rice.
"The strong demographics and high daytime population in Southlake make it a great fit," Witt says. "Gateway Plaza has one of the highest traffic counts in the area and it's right at the entry point to Southlake so it has great visibility."
