How East London’s oldest halal eatery survived the pandemic

By JOSEPH HAMMOND
Religion News Service

Halal Restaurant, East London’s oldest halal eatery, opened in 1939 to serve the needs of Muslims in the maritime industry. Over the ensuing decades the restaurant has adapted alongside the rapidly shifting neighborhood. Having survived the Blitz and the labor tumult of the 1970s, Halal Restaurant nearly succumbed during the pandemic as the normally packed streets of London went quiet. A social media plea from the proprietor’s daughter gave the generationally owned South Asian restaurant a boon. “It really worked. There were people waiting outside the door because of the tweet,” said owner Mahaboob Narangoli.