A Rochester-based halal restaurant chain is setting its sights on North Buffalo, with plans to open a new location on Hertel Avenue in early January. Halal N Out expects the spot to employ at least six workers, and the company already has its next move mapped out: an Amherst location after the Hertel Avenue debut.
According to WGRZ, the chain currently operates in Rochester and plans to open on Hertel Avenue in early January. The report, citing Buffalo Business First, notes the new restaurant is expected to bring on at least six employees once it opens. Halal N Out has not said when its planned Amherst location might follow, but the chain is already looking ahead to that second Buffalo-area spot after launching on Hertel.
A Growing Foothold on Hertel
Hertel Avenue has become something of a proving ground for halal concepts looking to expand in the Buffalo area. Chick Mex, a halal Mexican restaurant that got its start on the University at Buffalo's North Campus, recently opened a second location on the strip, according to Step Out Buffalo. Chick Mex owner Zahid Rahimi explained his reasoning for choosing the corridor in blunt terms: “The reason I moved to Hertel is because of the community. I love the community.” That Hertel Avenue location also serves beer and wine alongside its halal Mexican street food, the outlet reports.
Whether Halal N Out's arrival is drawing on that same community pull is not addressed in the available reporting, but the timing places another halal-focused business on a street that has increasingly attracted food entrepreneurs. The chain's move into the Buffalo region comes as Hertel continues to see turnover among its food and drink tenants.
A Nearby Closure on the Same Corridor
Not every Hertel Avenue business has found staying power. Steel Leaf Brewing was reported to be shutting down after four years in business, according to a separate report from Buffalo Business First. The brewery's closure adds to the churn of openings and closings that have defined the stretch in recent seasons, even as new concepts like Halal N Out and Chick Mex move in to fill the gaps.
