Every night, a small line forms on 28th Street and Madison Avenue and people wait to get their fix. Of Halal food, that is. The antidote to their cravings is a cheerful yellow truck, from where vendor Edil Ibrahim dispenses hot food into the wee hours of the morning. Wisps of steam rise into the night air as Ibrahim, with a practiced hand, heaps containers with chicken, lamb, and rice. Some waiting in line are regulars, and exchange banter with Ibrahim as he puts together their meal. Others are newcomers, wandering the streets in search of late night sustenance.
They have certainly come to the right place. Ibrahim works for Madison Halal Food, a vending company that runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The company operates in twelve-hour shifts, with separate trucks for the day and night shifts.
During the day, the cart gets swarmed by people who work in the area. “All my customers are working in offices,” said day shift vendor Ouissam “Sam” Khabzi, who works the day-shift truck six days out of the week. According to Khabzi, another twenty or thirty of his customers are also cab drivers.
The night truck gets the most customer traffic on weekends from wandering clubgoers, according to Ibrahim. The majority of his customers, however, are cab and limousine drivers and residents of the area.
Madison Halal has not been untouched by the recession. According to Khabzi, there was a drop in customers in the past year. “A lot of people [got] fired from their jobs, and the streets aren’t crowded, ” he said. “It’s about the crazy economy.”
Even though business is not what it used to be, the company has an enduring popularity in the area. According to Khabzi, the affordability of the food plays a large part in this. In a neighborhood where “cheap” and “meal” are hardly used in the same sentence, Madison Halal Food trucks offer deals such as a container of chicken or a gyro at just under five dollars, with a free beverage included. “Now the food is very very cheap, okay?” Khabzi said. “It’s good quality. It’s like Asian food, and it’s very very famous in New York.” As he talks, the aroma of cooking meat fills the air. He adds, “Like in Times Square, if you go there nobody will give you something for five dollars.”
The convenience of quickly-prepared, on-the-go meals is another reason for Madison Halal’s popularity, especially the night truck. According to Ibrahim, customers– especially cab and limousine drivers– are drawn to his truck because the food provides quick fuel. Overhearing the conversation, Imran, a male customer, chipperly added, “The taste is also very good.”