Consumer appeal
The franchisee of New York City-based growth phenomenon The Halal Guys says he invested because he loves it as a consumer: “The brand is near and dear to my heart.”
Tran is looking for relevant brands that appeal to millennials and are authentic, adventurous, transparent and digitally friendly. Halal Guys hits the bull’s-eye for him. The chain has a genuine story—the retrofitted hot dog carts were born out of a need for halal food for Muslim cab drivers—and a craveable menu that draws crowds. “There’s nothing else like it,” he says.
Tran and his business partners own the rights to build up to 50 Halal Guys stores in California, from Santa Barbara to the Mexican border. So far, they’ve built seven in two years.