Legendary Manhattan food cart operators The Halal Guys announced an enormous franchise expansion last year, promising Las Vegas would be among the first of 200 worldwide restaurant locations. Since that February 2015 announcement, there were no updates on when the menu of chicken, gyro and falafel over rice would arrive.

Until now.

Halal Guys plans to open its first location in Chinatown, taking over the former On The Mat Fight Shop at 3755 Spring Mountain Road, Suite 101, in Spring Mountain Square.



Renè Hjorth, the director of operations for Halal Guys, says construction on the 1,752-square-foot space starts in four weeks with an anticipated opening in mid-summer.

Since 1990, The Halal Guys food cart on 53rd Street in Manhattan opposite the Hilton Hotel has become a spot of true legend with the hour-plus wait, the yellow bags, the fake cart copycats, the murder of a customer for cutting in line and above all, the "magic" white sauce and optional hot sauce served over their very simple menu of chicken, gyro and falafel over rice or in a sandwich.

For years, they only operated two carts, not trucks, that needed to be towed to Manhattan. Future plans for Halal Guys include two bricks-and-mortar stores in the city and five carts.