What is a Halal Restaurant?

What is a Halal restaurant?

A Halal restaurant is a restaurant type that serves primarily (if not only) halal food. This means the food being served is permissible to eat according to Islamic rules. A halal restaurant caters to customers who only eat halal foods, though many restaurants might still indicate on their menu whether or not the food is halal. Food that is halal requires ingredients that are pure, clean, and non-toxic. When it comes to animal meats in particular, only certain parts of the animal are considered halal, as well as the manner in which the meat is obtained or prepared. For a restaurant to be truly halal, it would also not serve alcohol, contain any pork items on its menu, or use any pork oils.

What is the history of Halal restaurants?

The word “Halal” is Arabic, meaning “permissible.” This means that halal food is food that is permissible to eat, according to Islamic law. In the 1960s, Halal food was introduced in the United States as Muslim immigration increased. In order to feed these communities, specialized butchers started to slaughter animals in a halal way to be able to offer halal meats to their customers. This led to the creation of a commercial “halal” label to signify whether the meat has been processed accordingly.

What is typically on the menu at a Halal restaurant?

Halal food tends to be a healthier option and you can find many delicious foods on the menu at a halal restaurant. There are a variety of different cuisines that tend to have halal food, such as Indian, Middle Eastern, Turkish and Pakistani. Some of the items you can typically find on a halal menu include kebabs, curries, rice, and flatbreads. The kebab option tends to offer different halal meats, such as lamb, chicken, or beef.

There are various different styles of halal food, such as casual street food. A casual halal restaurant serving street food might sell items such as gyros, chicken, or falafel platters with rice, or wrapped in a pita with vegetables, tahini, and harissa sauce. A popular dessert at a halal restaurant is baklava.

How do you start a Halal restaurant?

Before you open a halal restaurant, it’s important that you understand Islamic practices and ensure your food is truly halal. Your supply chain and food sourcing will be extremely important in order to have a halal restaurant and serve halal customers. This means securing a partnership to source halal foods, especially meat, from a halal-certified source, so it’s important to make sure you know where and how to source these important ingredients.

Once you have identified a secure way to source halal food, you should consider what type of food or cuisine you want to sell. Conducting market research will help you identify what your community wants and what types of halal food are lacking in the location you wish to open your business. Writing a business plan will help you organize your concept, which will make the process of opening a halal restaurant much easier.

To help you get started with your own restaurant, we put together a comprehensive step-by-step guide on how to open a restaurant.

How much does it cost to start a Halal restaurant?

To start a halal restaurant you will first need to consider the size of your location and what format your business will be as this will greatly impact the cost. Opening a food truck or street cart may be a more affordable option compared to the costs of opening a restaurant. You can also consider the franchise route, as most franchises usually charge a franchise fee – for example, the Halal Guys is a widely popular halal chain and their franchise fee starts at $60,000.

Depending on your rent, furniture choices, and how you’re renovating your space, total restaurant startup costs can range from $95,000 to over $2 million. This will vary depending on your location size, but note that the average price per square foot is $450. You might want to consider a loan or other financing options for starting a halal restaurant.

What are the most popular types of Halal restaurants?

The most popular halal restaurants are ones that are cheap and unassuming. Typically, a popular halal restaurant has halal staples, such as beer, lamb and chicken kabobs served either pita-style or as a platter with rice and vegetables. This casual street-food halal fare is increasingly popular around the world.