Halal Food Inc. officially opened its Oxford location Oct. 17., making it the city’s first Middle Eastern restaurant and bringing a fresh flavor to the local dining scene.
Situated in the building formerly occupied by Oxford Hookah Lounge, the opening of Halal Food Inc. marks the company’s third location in the greater Cincinnati area. One of the owners, Yahia Jayosi, shared that the Oxford branch is part of a larger vision to bring halal cuisine to college towns across Ohio.
“We are trying to build a franchise,” Jayosi said.
Jayosi and his business partner launched Halal Food Inc. in 2022 on E. Court Street in Cincinnati, and last year they opened a second location near the University of Cincinnati in Clifton. Their positive experience in Clifton, where they saw strong support from students, inspired them to consider expanding to other college towns.
“It’s what made me put eyes on Oxford,” Jayosi said. “I also hope to open one in Dayton, close to college students.”
Since opening two weeks ago, Halal Food Inc. has already gained popularity in Oxford, especially for its chicken shawarma, which Jayosi said is the restaurant’s most popular dish so far.
“Whenever people try it, they usually come back in and bring people with them,” Jayosi said.
Oxford resident Kimberly Clarke was ecstatic when she heard about Halal Food Inc. coming to town. Clarke, a manager at Wild Berry on High Street, has lived in eight different college towns, yet Oxford was the only one lacking a halal or Middle Eastern offering.
“There was no good falafel, there were no good gyros,” Clarke said. “And so I was super stoked to see some really delicious Middle Eastern cuisine because we need it. We need the diversity of different flavor palettes in the scene.”
For Clarke, Halal Food Inc. fills a much-needed gap in Oxford’s dining options. “The halal just adds something that we were missing in our flavor profile,” she added.
Tucked away in an alley next to Left Field Tavern, the restaurant’s location presents a bit of a challenge, Jayosi said, which is why he hopes to increase his marketing efforts.
However, Clarke has been doing her part to help. She keeps Halal Food Inc.’s physical menu on deck at Wild Berry and hands them out to customers if they come in around 4 or 5 p.m. This is mainly driven by her own love for their chicken shawarma.
“I want them to still be there,” Clarke said. “It’s totally out of selfishness because I want to continue getting chicken shawarma. So I want other people to go there.”
For Jayosi, this level of enthusiasm and support from the community keeps him motivated and optimistic.
“The local community is very supportive; they like it and they keep saying, ‘we need you guys here in Oxford,’” Clarke said.
Halal Food Inc. is at 17 N. Beech St. for falafel, shawarma or gyro.
