Abiba Biao photo
Belen Orduno, Fernando Lopez, Madison Reynolds, and Jesús Ramos.
Shah's Halal Food photo
Now available on York St.
Braving the long line that started on York Street and wound down to Broadway, Fernando Lopez was on a mission. Accompanied by his friends Belen Orduno, Madison Reynolds, and Jesús Ramos, the group waited an hour to get their hands on a chicken platter they had heard others rave about.
That was the scene last Thursday, as Shah’s Halal Food marked its grand opening at 276 York St. by giving out free food. From 4 to 6 p.m., hungry students and other New Haveners gathered for their choice of a free plate platter, gyro, or salad.
Zubear Khan, Sheenan Ahsan, Nabil Ahsan, Zakir Usman, and Shakir Usman
Zakir Usman isn’t new to Shah’s. He said he’s a frequent patron of the shop, having tried out the locations in New York, Middletown, and Newington. When he heard about the grand opening of the New Haven shop, he knew he had to come out, bringing along his brother Shakir, and friends Zubear Khan, Sheenan, and Nabil Ahsan.
“Shah’s is one of the limited amount of halal foods in the Connecticut area and it’s tried and true, so we always eat it,” he said.
He highlighted that the new location provided more convenience for him to enjoy his favorite dishes without going far. Some of his favorite dishes include the chicken platter and the cheese steak.
“It’s just a great environment [that] gets the people together,” Shakir chimed in, “and it’s fun to see the Muslim community and all the communities come together to enjoy good food.”
Shah’s Halal Food co-owner Mohammed Mashriqi.
Founded in 2005 in Queens, New York, Shah’s Halal Food has grown to more than 90 restaurant locations.
Mohammed Mashriqi, co-owner of the store alongside Rafi Mashriqi, said that the restaurant’s expansion to New Haven was long in the works, with the co-owners first having the idea six years ago to open a new shop in the Elm City. Now that these plans have finally come into fruition , the New Haven shop marks the franchise’s 11th location in Connecticut.
Mashriqi expressed his surprise for the overwhelming turnout Thursday. He expected there to be less people due to the end of the spring semester. He also highlighted the planning and thought that went into the event.
“We strategically made it 4 to 6 p.m. to allow the students to go to school and come back,” he said.
This detail was not lost on attendees like Tiara Huggsions, a freshman at Hill Regional Career High School, who expressed her appreciation for the event’s accessible hours. Accompanied by her friends Synia “Ny” Brown, a junior at Achievement First Amistad High School, and George Green, a student Eli Whitney Technical High School, the trio had high hopes for the food.
“The whole block is here and that’s for a reason. Y’all are drawing people’s attention and I love that because a lot of people in Connecticut, they would not do this,” she said, gesturing to the line of people in front of her. “I love the fact that y’all are doing it downtown because there’s a lot of homeless people too. They need to get some food.”
“Ya thought about us. Ya thought about the people, and I love that,” she continued.
