"I was a nobody for many years,” says Samiul Noor, the owner of Sammy’s Halal Food carts. “Food is not an easy profession. Confidence actually saves you. And I’m still learning every day.”

An immigrant from Pakistan, Noor moved to the United States in 1990. After a few years in Texas, in 1997 he moved to New York City, where he purchased his first food cart in Jackson Heights for $15,000. As sole proprietor, Noor was responsible for every aspect of the business, resulting in 100-hour workweeks.

Things changed in 2006 when Noor won a Vendy Award, a prestigious New York City street food prize awarded by a panel of celebrity judges and attendees. The business became so successful that Noor hired employees and expanded to a second cart in Greenwich Village.

Every day at 5am, a Long Island City warehouse comes alive. In the warehouse are carts selling everything from halal chicken and rice to smoothies and Caribbean food. Some workers are busy loading their carts with supplies while others are cleaning theirs with a garden hose. Noor’s employees can be found in the large shared kitchen preparing rice and salad, items too cumbersome to prep on the carts.

One of Noor’s employees, Adnan Arif, is a Pakistani immigrant who commutes an hour every day from Kensington, Brooklyn, to the Manhattan cart for his 7am to 6pm shift. One of his first tasks is prepping the meat, which is cooked in batches to avoid having it dry out before service.

“The food has to be fresh,” says Arif as he dices up the cooked chicken thighs on the griddle before pushing them into a pile. The diced chicken is mixed with onions and cilantro, and is tinged light red from the spices, an original blend created by Noor. All the spice blends and sauces are his recipes.

Nothing is bought pre-made. And Noor’s menu is deceptively simple—chicken and lamb gyro on rice or pita, served with white, hot, barbecue or green chutney sauces, all typical selections for a halal food cart. Despite this simplicity, his food has a loyal following. In Jackson Heights, other halal food carts are parked nearby and serve a similar menu for a lower price. Yet people consistently line up for Noor’s offerings.