A Staten Island-based halal spot that aims to fight community hunger is coming to the Mile Square City as Yala Halal is slated to launch just a few steps from Hoboken’s main drag.
The non-profit eatery will be setting up shop inside the former Tutta Pesca space at 155 3rd Street. Yala Hala first opened in the Great Kills neighborhood in late 2024 as a 100% non-profit restaurant.
The concept was born from the Umma Foundation’s vision to feed people locally and globally, with the brand’s wages, food costs, and overhead being covered, and all profit going directly to humanitarian aid.
Every dollar of profit goes directly to the Trucks of Hope humanitarian program, which delivers hot meals to homeless and underserved communities. The concept has caught on early; Yala Halal just opened their second location on Hylan Blvd in Staten Island earlier this year and has another planned on Castleton Avenue.
The company recently created the Yala franchise program in response to the demand, which is a for-profit opportunity where the franchise fee funds Umma Foundation projects. All the meats at the restaurant are 100% Halal certified and sourced in accordance with Zabihah practices.
The menu at the restaurant starts with breakfast sandwiches in the morning, then shifts to (you guessed it) platters of lamb, chicken, falafel, and more for lunch and dinner service. But Yala Halal offers a bit more than a usual halal spot with burgers, gyros, quesadillas, heroes, wraps, gourmet hot dogs, rice bowls, and loaded fries on the menu.
Yala Halal also offers waffles and crepes any time of the day and a collection of “dirty sodas” like a Cotton Candy Fizz, which blends Sprite with blue raspberry, vanilla, and H&H Cream.
The eatery’s Staten Island locations have later service until midnight or 1 a.m. on weekends, perhaps foreshadowing a late-night presence in Hoboken. While an opening date for their Third Street location hasn’t been announced, the brand can be followed on Instagram at the handle @eatyala_ for further updates.
