Habibis

What Habibis does

Habibis is a privately held, founder-operated Middle Eastern and American quick-service restaurant business based in New York City. The company was founded in 2011 with an original location on 125th Street in Harlem, which has since closed. Its sole active operation is "Gyro96," an 85-square-foot walk-up window at 141 East 96th Street (NW corner of Lexington Ave) that opened on May 9, 2016. The restaurant serves halal-certified Middle Eastern and American fare — including gyros, rice platters, falafel, shawarma, sambosas, hummus, specialty wraps, and party platters — prepared fresh daily by chef Waled Haredy in small batches to preserve quality. The business also accepts catering orders for groups of eight or more.

The company has no proprietary technology platform; its digital infrastructure consists of a company website (habibisnyc.com) plus integrations with third-party ordering and delivery providers. Direct online ordering is powered by Chownow, and delivery is fulfilled through Seamless, Yelp/Eat24, and UberEats. There is no mobile app, no API, and no AI/ML capabilities. The GTM motion is direct-to-consumer, with organic social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) and earned media (NY Times, Manhattan Sideways, DNAInfo) as the primary awareness channels.

Habibis generates revenue almost entirely from one-time food and beverage sales to walk-in and delivery customers in the Upper East Side micro-market, supplemented by a small catering stream. The company has no external investors, no subsidiaries, and no parent entity. With one active physical site, a tiny footprint, and no disclosed expansion pipeline, the business is best characterized as a single-unit, founder-owned neighborhood restaurant rather than a scaling concept.

Name

Habibis

Legal name

Habibis

Website

https://habibisnyc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Habibis is a privately held NYC quick-service restaurant operating as Gyro96, a single 85-square-foot walk-up window on East 96th Street serving halal Middle Eastern and American food to neighborhood walk-in and delivery customers, with supplemental catering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Quick-Service Restaurant

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAFAAAG

Middle Eastern & Mediterranean QSR (Kebab, Shawarma, Falafel)

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Quick-Service Restaurants (QSR)

SECONDARYHSACAGAH

Specialty & Dietary Catering (Vegan, Kosher, Halal, Allergy-Friendly)

Home & Personal Services/Event & Personal Concierge Services/Catering Coordination & Food Service (Non-restaurant)

SECONDARYTHAFAIAK

Specialty Dietary & Wellness Catering (Vegan, Halal, Kosher, Allergy-Friendly)

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Catering & Banquet Foodservice

Keywords

• Halal middle eastern food
• Quick service restaurant
• Gyro sandwiches
• Catering platters
• Food delivery service

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Sales: Direct revenue from selling prepared Middle Eastern and American food items including gyros, rice platters, falafel, sandwiches, and party platters to walk-in customers and delivery orders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Habibis operates a quick-service Middle Eastern restaurant under the brand Gyro96 at 141 East 96th Street in New York City, serving halal-certified food including gyros, rice platters, falafel, hummus, sambosas, shawarma, and specialty wraps through a walk-up window, direct online ordering via ChowNow, and third-party delivery aggregators (Seamless, Yelp/Eat24, UberEats). The company also offers catering party platters for groups of 8 or more, open 7 days a week.

Product overview

Habibis operates as a Middle Eastern diner with its primary brand Gyro96. The company offers a unified restaurant service providing fresh, made-daily Middle Eastern and American cuisine, including gyros, rice platters, falafel, shawarma, and specialty wraps. The flagship Gyro96 location at 141 East 96th Street complements the original Harlem location (opened 2011) at 125th Street. Menu offerings include signature items like homemade hummus, sambosas, and various grilled meat platters, with catering options available through party platters. The restaurant serves halal-certified food seven days a week and integrates with third-party delivery platforms for online ordering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gyro96 Restaurant (141 East 96th Street)

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ChownowcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline ordering platform partner that powers the company's direct online ordering system. Customers can place orders directly through Chownow via the company's website.
• SeamlesscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party food delivery aggregator enabling customers to order delivery through the Seamless platform.
• UberEatscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party food delivery platform allowing customers to order delivery through the UberEats application.
• Yelp/Eat24coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party food delivery aggregator enabling customers to order delivery through Yelp/Eat24 platform.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Roti Mediterranean Grill: Roti is a U.S. fast-casual Mediterranean chain serving wraps, bowls, and pitas. Comparable on cuisine (Mediterranean/Middle Eastern), quick-service model, and broad U.S. footprint.
• Mamoun's Falafel: Mamoun's Falafel is a long-running NYC Middle Eastern quick-service spot specializing in falafel sandwiches and platters. Directly comparable on Middle Eastern QSR cuisine and Manhattan customer base.
• Naya Express: Naya Express is a NYC-based fast-casual chain serving Lebanese and Mediterranean wraps, salads, and bowls. Directly comparable on Middle Eastern cuisine, quick-service model, and Manhattan footprint.
• The Halal Guys: The Halal Guys is the dominant NYC halal street-food brand, originally a single cart and now a multi-unit chain serving gyros, rice platters, and platters. Most directly comparable peer in halal QSR, sharing cuisine, format, and customer demographic.
• Taim Mediterranean: Taim is a NYC-based Mediterranean QSR known for falafel and hummus-based menu items. Closely comparable on cuisine (falafel, hummus, pitas) and QSR service format.
• Schnitzel & Co: Schnitzel & Co is a Mediterranean QSR focused on schnitzel, pitas, and salads. Comparable on limited-service Mediterranean cuisine and quick meal positioning, though operating in different geographies.

Broad incumbents

• Chipotle Mexican Grill: Chipotle is the largest U.S. fast-casual chain, offering assembly-line customizable bowls and wraps. Not a direct competitor on cuisine, but a relevant benchmark for limited-service restaurant unit economics and digital ordering operations.
• CAVA: CAVA is a publicly traded fast-casual Mediterranean chain operating hundreds of U.S. locations. A larger, broader incumbent offering Mediterranean bowls and pitas with overlapping cuisine, though at scale and full sit-down format.
• Pita Pit: Pita Pit is a North American fast-casual chain serving Mediterranean-style pitas and wraps. Comparable on cuisine style (pita-wrapped proteins) and QSR franchise model.
• Chick-fil-A: Chick-fil-A is the largest U.S. chicken-focused QSR chain. Relevant as a benchmark for limited-service restaurant operations, throughput, and off-premise channel mix, though cuisine is different.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/habibisnyc
• Facebookfacebook.com/HabibisNYC
• Instagraminstagram.com/thegyro96
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/habibis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Habibis