Being Different: Business lessons from the Halal Guys

Without a marketing budget, a reservation system, or even tables and chairs, the Halal Guys on 53rd and 6th in Manhatten are schooling even the best restaurants in New York. Based on a simple premise that is savored in each mouthful and read emblazoned on their yellow shirts, the Halal Guys are Different.

While waiting in line with a small crowd for 15 minutes last night, I had time to think about what made these guys so different and so popular. I realized that there was a lot to learn on how to differentiate a business to deliver an engaging experience and extraordinary customer loyalty.

1. Keep It Simple to keep it moving: The Halal guys serve lamb and/or chicken with rice in one type of platter dish. A total of 3 product versions at simple $5 price. This makes operations amazingly simple - one guy cooks while the other two prep the platters and take the money. No menus, no coins. Drinks are displayed in several coolers before the cart and customers help themselves. This helps them service an amazing number of people quickly and keep the line moving. Few things annoys a newYorker quicker than a slow or erratic line.

2. Make it Great and they will come and tell their friends: You can hear the cook chopping and searing the meat from down the block. Pretty soon the smell catches up and by the time you arrive, the line doesnt look so long. High quality, lean, juicy, well prepared and inexpensive, the Halal Guys deliver one of the best streetfood options available in New York. Just check them out on Yelp, Foodspotting or Foursquare. Over 1,000 foursquare check ins for an establishment that rolls away each night.

3. Give them what they want: If its not clear from the line on the east side of 63rd and 6th that customers want Halal, look west or south and you will see 2 to 3 more Halal Guy trucks set up with equally long lines serving equally great food. Patient customers on all the street corners are rewarded with a steaming platter of Medditeranean goodness. Not enough white or red sauce? Make your way back to the self service sauces table without any embarassment or distraction to the Guys.

Whatever your business is, you need to attract, satisfy, and retain customers. In this topic, take a tip from the Halal Guys: keep the offer simple, great, and satisfying and double up on the sauce.

Line #3, West side of 63rd and 6th

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