On a campus chock-full of food options, Leili Zadeh can often be found ordering from Pasha’s Halal Food, a tiny cart outside of the Howard Gittis Student Center. She comes back to the family-owned food truck not only for a quick and inexpensive meal, but for the familial connection she has with the owners.
“There’s not a lot of Middle Eastern community here at Temple as much,” Zadeh said. “They always remember my name and there’s a couple of songs with my name, so the guy that was cooking last time, he was cooking and singing my name.”
By cooking ethnic food as a means to connect through culture, the abundance of halal trucks on campus supplies more than a meal. They provide a sense of community and a safe space for Temple students to trust their food is being made to their dietary needs.
Semih Yuksel, a second-generation Pasha’s employee, says having a halal food truck on campus is necessary to ensure Muslim and Jewish students have adequate food options.
“There are students like the Muslim students that only eat halal, you know, so they have to pretty much only eat here, essentially, unless they bring their own food,” Yuksel said. “That’s the only option available to them that’s permissible. Same with Jewish students who eat kosher, halal is similar.”
Under the nose of the Student Center food court, which overflows with American food joints like Chik-Fil-A, Burger-Fi and Wing Stop, halal’s student connection usurps the popular fast food spots. Some students will try to avoid mainstream on-campus restaurants, even if the prices are comparable.
“[Halal] is always affordable for the amount of food that you’re getting and it’s not a lot of meat which I think is beneficial,” said Graeme Duffey, a junior public relations major. “And there’s one outside of every building that I’m going to so it’s really convenient and it always hits, it’s never bad.”
Students find comfort in knowing exactly where their money is going and where their food is coming from when supporting a small business.
Tyler Watts, a senior information science and technology major, lives 15 minutes away from Main Campus and its food trucks but knows a good meal is ensured when he purchases from his favorite truck.
“I feel like those places like Five Guys, you can really get them anywhere,” Watts said. “This is a more unique experience because it’s more personable and you’re seeing the guy who’s taking your order and going and cooking the food for you and then giving it to you. And It’s not just someone that it’s just their job. This is people’s careers.”
Located adjacent to Annenberg Hall, New York Halal has gained popularity among students for the friendly face that greets them and a warm home-cooked meal.
The manager, Said Elkharrak, recalls fond memories of graduated students returning to his truck to introduce their families to him.
“They live here, they graduate and they come back with their family here,” Elkharrak said. “I do have some people who live here and I’m part of their life for four years. I have people in here four times a week. This place is a great part of their life.”
Like Pasha’s, New York Halal provides more than a sales relationship. A key component of being a family-owned business is the ability to connect with students outside of the typical server-customer dynamic.
Zadeh says the owner of Pasha frequently asks her about her life and how her family is doing while ordering her meal. Yuksels’ father enjoys carrying out conversations beyond taking orders.
“Just yesterday, a girl came by,” Yuskel said. “[My dad] spent a good half an hour talking to her. And all the Turkish students. He takes good care of them, has a good rapport with them, and hangs on with their parents if he knows them tight in the community, especially if they go to the same mosque.”
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