Halal Food with Mohammad Altawaha

Mohammad Altawaha, also known as “Abu Omar,” is a serial entrepreneur based out of Houston, Texas. Originally from a small village in Jordan, Altawaha moved to the United States to pursue a Master’s Degree in 2008. During his time in school, Altawaha worked in various restaurants across Houston & rediscovered his passion for cooking. Equipped with his own set of signature recipes and firsthand knowledge of restaurant management, Altawaha set out to fill a void he felt was present in his community’s food scene. He opened his first venture, a food truck called Abu Omar Taco, in 2011. Initially, Abu Omar Taco served a mix of Mexican and Mediterranean dishes that adhered to halal food practices. However, Altawaha soon realized the overwhelming demand was for their more Mediterranean dishes, such as chicken shawarma & gyros. Altawaha then decided to shift the menu focus to serve entirely Mediterranean classics.  With the new focus and menu offerings, the decision was made to change the name of the business to Abu Omar Halal. After opening several food trucks in the Houston area, Altawaha, set his sights on the rest of the lone star state. Opening new locations in the Austin, San Antonio, & Dallas area in record time, setting his brand up for success. Over the last year, they have quickly expanded across the United States with over 25 food truck and brick & mortar locations in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Florida and California. This success has led Altawaha to venture into other restaurant endeavors, including another successful multi-location Mediterranean restaurant called Arabella Mediterranean Kitchen + Grill, as well as a fusion food truck called Coreanos.