Franchising

District BBQ is 'Halal-certified'

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January 10, 2022

The Washington D.C. metro now has a halal barbecue smokehouse, thanks to founder Ahmad Ashkar making the decision to make his fast casual brand, District BBQ, halal-certified.

"Halal is the new vegan," he said in a company press release. "Consumers are demanding a more ethical, socially and economically aligned option, and that's exactly what halal offers. Muslim Millennials and Gen-Z are favoring halal options at a higher rate than their parents, and for the first time, thanks to national brands like The Halal Guys, we are seeing demand coming from outside the Muslim consumer market."

District BBQ will continue offering its signature sandwiches, including the District Z, named one of the region's top sandwiches by Washingtonian Magazine. The sandwich has a quarter-pound of thinly sliced brisket served on Texas Toast and topped with onion rings, slaw, American cheese and barbecue sauce. Other crowd favorites include the Spicy Bama chicken sandwich, Kansas City-style burnt ends, a 2-pound chopped brisket stuffed baked potato, smoked wings and pulled chicken. The company also introduced Peruvian-style, coal-fired halal chicken through its partner Chicken Pollo.

"Coal-fired rotisserie chicken is an insanely delicious, healthy and affordable alternative to traditional slow-smoked barbecue. With rising beef costs and supply chain shortages across the U.S., healthy, farm-raised halal chicken represents a booming market opportunity that is good for both consumers and business owners alike," said Ashkar, a Palestinian American entrepreneur who has founded multiple brands in the food and beverage, education, technology and real estate sectors. Fast Company has called out Ashkar for having created, "One of the World's Most Innovative Companies" appearing in their 2019 ranking. He is a member of the Esquire 100 and has been ranked on The Gulf Business "Top 100 Most Powerful Arabs" power list. His restaurant brands have been featured by USA Today, Yelp! and BuzzFeed and included in the "Top Restaurants in America" rankings. He is the author of two books.

Franchising for both brands is set to begin later this year.