Community News 16-27

New York’s Halal Guys to go international

New York’s iconic street carts, the Halal Guys, is all set to go international. Fransmart — the franchise consulting firm  — has signed a deal with The Halal Guys’ founders to turn it into a franchise.
In the next five years, Fransmart plans to open 100 brick and mortar shops branded with The Halal Guys’ logo. They will open in LA, along the East Coast, and into Canada this year. Eventually they will have a presence in Europe as well as the Middle East.

Dan Rowe, Fransmart’s CEO said that he  sees The Halal Guys becoming “…the Chipotle of Middle Eastern food.”

LA declares July as Muslim American Heritage Month

Recognizing Muslim American community’s contributions and rich heritage, Los Angeles city council has declared July 2014 as Muslim American Heritage Month, a decision widely welcomed by the Muslim community.

“It’s a very important resolution. It’s historic,” Najee Ali, the project’s founder, told KCET on Friday, June 20.

“It will help bring Los Angeles Muslims closer to the mainstream and civic life and affairs of our city where we will have a chance every year to highlight the various cultural traditions of the Muslim community.”

“We can share understanding for many of our fellow Angelenos who know very little of the Muslim community, except for what they see on TV and the media, which is mostly negative,” he added.

Uddin, Kuwatly win prizes at mobile app competition

Wayne State University in Detroit announced the winners of its mobile app competition this week. The contest, sponsored by Wayne State’s office of economic development and Blackstone LaunchPad, was open to students, alumni, faculty, and staff, and there were $5,000 in cash prizes awarded courtesy of Detroit Labs, the Detroit Technology Exchange, and The Front Door. Winning the $2,500 first place prize was a team consisting of Sagor Bhuiyan, Lawrence Namait, Terrance Johnson, and Mir Ikram Uddin. Their app was designed to increase awareness of campus events, gauge interest, and incentivize attendance. The second place prize of $1,500 went to Iyad Kuwatly for his app titled Get Involved, which provides easy access to the latest events on WSU’s campus and the city of Detroit.

16-27