Reader: Halal Guys Coming to Metro Denver? Best News Ever!

The Halal Guys is a true street-to-boardroom success story, Mark Antonation reported this week; the business was founded in New York City by Abdelbaset Elsayed, Mohamed Abouelenein and Ahmed Elsaka, three Egyptians who began selling gyros, grilled chicken and falafel sandwiches and platters from a cart in 1990. Since then, the company has grown to more than ninety locations worldwide (with about 400 in the works) — and metro Denver is next, thanks to franchise owners and Colorado natives Chris Bui and Kevin Than.

“Denver has, for the last fifteen to twenty years, been a hotbed of creativity and innovation in the fast-casual restaurant segment,” says Halal Guys CEO Ahmed Abouelenein, who’s also the son of one of the company’s founders. “It’s a city that we have long recognized as a sophisticated, vibrant place; we just hadn’t found the right partners to make it a reality. Kevin and Chris, being lifelong residents, proved to be the perfect partners to bring the Halal Guys to Denver.”

The two will open their first Halal Guys outpost at 14535 East Alameda Avenue in Aurora this spring, and many fans can’t wait, as evidenced by the hundreds of comments posted on the Westword Facebook page when we reported that the Halal Guys will be coming to metro Denver. Says Nikki: 

This is the best fucking news anyone has reported in a long time.

Seconds Charles:

Best news ever! Been wanting them to come here ever since they started opening restaurants! The cart has gotten me through so many hangovers in the city.

Echoes Tanya:

OMG, we recently moved here and I miss Halal Guys like crazy. Can’t wait for Halal Guys to be in Denver!

Suggests Nolan: 

Screw In-N-Out. This is the fast food that we should be freaking out about.

Responds Gordon:

Thank goodness…the Denver food scene needs more places with flavor. Now we just need to get Whataburger up here and we’re good to go.

Warns Josh:

They’ve changed the recipe since they franchised and went brick and mortar. It’s not very good now.

And others dish out suggestions for some spots already in Denver. Says Richard:

 Sounds tasty, but I shall not be driving to Aurora to try it out. We’ve had Jerusalem for 42 years-plus near me, and it rarely disappoints .

Notes Chad:

Halal Guys is blah. Garbanzo is better.

And Yousef adds:

Don’t sleep on Shawarma Mediterranean Grill.

While you wait for the Halal Guys, what other restaurants would you suggest diners try in Denver? Post a comment or share your thoughts at editorial@westword.com.