November 27, 2024—CulinArt cafés are drawing rave reviews for the introduction of a new halal concept in both temporary and permanent formats.
At St. Francis College, in Brooklyn, Halal Cart debuted at the start of this semester as part of the Urban Eats station, where six concepts rotate and one remains static. Halal Cart replaced Cocina Fresca as the static concept “due to its overwhelming popularity,” says Chris Foti, director of dining services.
This is due in large part to evolving demographics at St. Francis after its move to a new campus two years ago and growth in its Muslim student contingent, which now accounts for about 25% of the student body. A year ago, Foti and Chef Isaiah ?? introduced a Saturday Chef’s Table featuring halal chicken, rice, vegetables, and pita chips, and “were pleasantly surprised at the reaction of students and faculty on campus those days” to the offering, he notes.
In addition, “here in downtown Brooklyn,” Foti adds, “there are halal carts on every other corner. By introducing a comparable product at a competitive price, we are capturing those that would have gone out [for halal] before.” Halal Cart offers four entrees in either platters or sandwiches (see accompanying menu) with a long list of side options. “The most popular item is the Chicken Shawarma,” Foti points out, and “with the exception of the pita, the entire station is made fresh in house.”
Chicken Shawarma was “the big winner” of customers’ attraction when the café at corporate dining location in Stamford, Conn., featured NYC Halal as a rotating Action station theme. While the concept has not become static as at St. Francis, “sales were strong” when it appeared, says Diane Russo, director of dining services, “and we did see many new guests that do not normally purchase lunch come try it.”
Russo has fielded the occasional request for halal food over the past few years, meeting the demand with frozen prepared meals sold in her operation’s Market. She also picked up on employees getting deliveries from a local halal spot. No surprise, then, that “we were excited to hear about the plan to introduce [Halal Cart],” she states, “and we pushed the Culinary team to add this location to the roll out.”
What do the customers think of Halal Cart? Initial curiosity prompted some to inquire about its authenticity, yet “it created quite a buzz, with several guests coming down early,” Russo explains. “Several guests came back every day that week to purchase lunch at this station, and some asked us if we could permanently add it to the café menu. One client had it for lunch, came back to buy dinner for his family, and said it reminded him of the halal he used to get in New York City—which he loved!”
