As marketing director for fast-growing Middle Eastern chain The Halal Guys, it’s Justin Bartek’s mission to spread the word about the brand, its meager-to-mogul story and its plates of white sauce-topped gyros and falafel. It’s his unconventional marketing methods, though, that are bringing notice to both Bartek and The Halal Guys.
Through collaborations with cutting-edge artists and carefully chosen influencers, Bartek is laser-focused on not only raising consumer awareness of The Halal Guys but also on making the 100-unit brand—which started as a single cart run by Egyptian immigrants in New York City—cool.
Since joining The Halal Guys in 2017, Bartek has partnered with a boutique brand to make limited-edition shoes in the chain’s iconic sauce colors. He has teamed up with Muslim YouTube pranksters to create low-budget and super-targeted videos for the chain. For a recent promo, he joined forces with Blake Horton of the trendy #TheBlakeDiet to shoot a video to launch a new “secret” menu item.
Bartek’s talent lies in not only finding these sometimes under-the-radar collaboration opportunities but also in convincing The Halal Guys higher-ups that working with these artists and trend-setters is a smart marketing move.
“That’s really the hard part,” he says. “It’s a trust thing. Our brand is definitely built on trust. They demand trust. … Our CEO is the son of the founder. The [original Halal Guys] cart was cash-only. If you understand that, it makes everything easier. I try to build trust. None of my projects have failed. They’ve helped the brand grow or helped them make money.”
Read on for more about Bartek’s journey with The Halal Guys, in his own words:
What excites you about The Halal Guys?
So many things really. I love working in a start-up type environment where my skills, knowledge and experience can help shape the brand. We have an amazing story and history that we are just getting out there. We are in our own category, and our offering is very unique. My executive team, led by our CEO Ahmed Abouelenein, allows me to think outside the box and execute marketing strategies on behalf of the brand that are new and different. Even our tag line, “We are different,” allows us to try things that wouldn’t work for other brands.
How did your previous jobs prepare you for what you do today?
All of my previous positions have helped me get to this point in different ways. When I worked at Warner Brothers Records, I learned the importance of relationship building, which has served me well in my journey. Working at restaurant concepts like Baja Fresh, Qdoba and Veggie Grill has allowed me to see various levels of success and different working environments, some being very corporate, some operating like a startup. Even working at a digital startup like Circle Street allowed me to learn local digital and keep up with digital trends across the marketing sphere. Finally, working with great people like Mark Chmiel, Alex Nocifera, Devin Handler, Andrew Eck and Ahmed Abouelenein, who have helped mentor me to get me to this point, has been huge for me. At the end of the day, the restaurant industry is a people business, and the more great people you know, [the more it] helps you in your career.
You’ve had positions in various companies. What are some of the qualities of the best leaders you’ve worked with?
I think the best leaders lead by example. They also don’t try to micro-manage everything and trust in the teams they have put in place and hired to do their jobs. Great leaders I’ve worked with have inspired me, they were honest, they were great communicators and decision-makers, and they were adaptable.
What kind of role have mentors played in your career, and in your life in general?
Mentors have definitely played a big role in my career up to this point, mainly by inspiring me and showing me the way to success. The best mentors share. They share thoughts, ideas, history and context that are unique to their experiences but allow you take something away for your own experience. I’ve always been like a sponge and tried to soak up as much as I can from the various mentors that I have had in my career, even things that didn’t necessarily pertain to my job. What I really learn is that, no matter the field, relationships matter. And every company relies on relationships, no matter the industry.
What's the most challenging thing about your job?
The most challenging thing for me is figuring out what works internationally. We have locations in South Korea, Indonesia, London and Toronto, with more exotic locations coming in the near future. Without living in those places and immersing myself in their cultures, I have to rely on the teams there to tell me what works and what doesn’t. Sometimes we rely on the strength of the brand as a whole, sometimes we need to do more. The process of figuring that out is challenging but very rewarding as well.
What's your best bit of advice for other restaurant marketers?
Be open. Do the work. Live limitless. If you are willing to be open and live with that mindset, things will come to you that you didn’t even dream of. When that happens, you have to be willing to do the work. It’s not easy, and when I say “live limitless,” it means understand that there are no limits—they only exist in your mind. If you live limitless, anything is possible
Rapid Fire
What's a restaurant industry fad you don't think will be around in five to 10 years?
My hope is that brands aren’t paying third-party delivery partners 25%-28% [per transaction] in the coming years.
What's your go-to Halal Guys order?
The combo platter with chicken and beef gyro is still undefeated as far as I’m concerned. The only thing that differs is the amount of hot sauce I put on it. Some days are a little more adventurous than others.
Where do you look for inspiration outside the restaurant world?
I’m very plugged into pop culture, and music is a huge passion of mine. I also plug into many lifestyle brands like Complex, Highsnobiety and Vice. I love street art and art in general.
If you could sit down and have a meal with one leader of any kind, living or dead, who would it be with and why?
I’ve been studying John Coltrane for a while now. I’d love to talk to him about music and what he was doing. His process. … Listening to jazz and understanding what’s happening, what you’re hearing, how the musicians are interacting, I think that helps me understand the human condition on a fundamental level. Teamwork, creativity, rhythm, soul are all there.
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