The story, chapter by chapter
A selection of our films for Shah’s Halal Food. Tap one to watch it with sound.
The brand
One cart, then 130 locations
- Began in 2005One food cart in Richmond Hill, Queens
- Over 130 locations
- The UK, Canada and SwedenLocations outside the United States
Shah’s began in 2005 with one food cart in Richmond Hill, Queens. Its first storefronts opened in 2016.
Today the family-owned company calls itself an international halal brand, with over 130 locations, from New York to the UK, Canada and Sweden. Its stated mission: unite people with food.
The launch
The Golden SHAHwarma
On 10 March 2026 the food creator The Golden Balance, who has more than 8 million followers, introduced his collab with Shah’s: the Golden SHAHwarma, “now available in partnership with @ShahsHalal at all U.S. locations”.
A new sandwich in every Shah’s in the country needs people who want the first bite, so that is what we filmed. It opens on a whisper, “Shhhhhh”, then the name, said slowly: “Shah… warma.” The microphone is close enough to hear every crunch, and the captions name the rest: crispy, loaded, garlic sauce. Then the line that sells it: “This is not your usual.”
Shah’s posted it on Instagram and TikTok on 21 May 2026, with five words: “Shhhh my show is on.”
The night
$500, one platter, no spills
In Ramadan, Shah’s brought a showdown to Suhoor Fest 2026 in New York. The rules fit on a megaphone: $500 for whoever finishes a Shah’s platter fastest, with no food spilling.
We kept the camera in the crowd, at the contestants’ shoulders: the trash talk before, the gloves and the rice during, and a finish so close it was called neck and neck. Shah’s posted it on 15 March 2026, on Instagram and TikTok.
The opening
Ask the line
A new Shah’s, on opening day. A drone shot finds the line along the storefront; then we handed the microphone to the people in it. “What’s the thing about Shah’s?” The answers came fast: the Philly cheesesteak, chicken over rice, the shawarma.
Nineteen seconds, cut to the rhythm of the answers, so a stranger finishes it knowing what to order.
The feed
Wallet, keys, pita
Not every film needs a crowd. Some are made for the feed: in one, a man in a suit lists what everyone keeps in their pocket, the wallet and the keys, “but not me”, and pulls out his: a Shah’s pocket pita, sauce on. In another, five seconds long, a phone held up to a takeout bag “sees through” it to the platter inside, made to play again and again.
