WORCESTER — For Muslim workers in downtown Worcester, finding a quick halal lunch near the office just got a little easier, at least for now.
The Chicken & Rice Guys, the Boston company that started with a single food truck in 2012, is now serving lunch out of Cafe Nexus at 6 Waldo St., the Worcester Business Journal reported on Sept. 24. The company's plates of chicken, gyro or tofu over rice are available Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to the Business Journal, which cited an announcement from the company. The company's own website lists the same Waldo Street stop and hours.
There is a catch. The company said in a social media comment that it is operating in Worcester on a trial basis for the next few months, the Business Journal reported.
A trial worth showing up for
The company hasn't said what happens after the trial ends. But a trial is a test, and the simplest way for Worcester to keep a halal lunch option downtown is to use it. For Muslim families and workers downtown, a weekday halal plate within walking distance of the office is a real convenience.
The Chicken & Rice Guys describes itself on its website as Boston's Middle Eastern halal street food. Its menu lists "Halal Chicken," which it describes as chicken thigh "first blessed, baked, grilled, then finely chopped." The menu also offers a beef-and-lamb gyro and a baked tofu plate, served over rice, as a salad or in pita, with sauces including creamy garlic, hot and extra hot. Readers who want details about how the company sources any particular item should ask the company directly.
Lunch plates generally cost between $8 and $13, according to the Business Journal, citing the company's website. The company also offers delivery through services including Uber Eats and DoorDash.
Worcester has had a taste already. The Business Journal reported that the company's food truck recently took part in one of the Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District's summer "Out to Lunch" events on Worcester Common.
Cafe Nexus, the host, opened on Waldo Street in May. It serves coffee, crepes, sweets and sandwiches, and has video game consoles for customers to play, according to the Business Journal.
A new home base north of Boston
Readers north of Boston have news of their own. The company is moving its commissary and warehouse from Ferry Street in Everett to 218 West Cummings Park in Woburn, according to an announcement from landlord Cummings Properties published by Winchester News. The 4,834-square-foot space is set to begin operations in October, with takeout service to follow. Hoodline and NBC Boston also reported the move.
"After 10 years operating out of Everett, we needed a base built for where we're headed next," co-founder and operating manager Jaemin Lee said in the announcement published by Winchester News. "Woburn broadens the boundaries of where we can operate and opens up markets we haven't been able to reach from inside the city."
Cummings Properties leasing director Steve Cusano said in the same announcement that some of the company's busiest shifts already run in Burlington, Lexington and Waltham, and that the Woburn site will be a launchpad for expansion along the I-93, I-95 and Route 3 corridors. The company had already been serving lunch from its truck at "Food Truck Tuesday" events at Sisitzky Park in West Cummings Park, according to Hoodline.
No opening date or hours for Woburn takeout have been announced.
The company also runs three Boston restaurants, in Downtown Crossing, the Financial District and the Seaport, along with food trucks around Greater Boston.
If you go
Worcester: Cafe Nexus, 6 Waldo St., Worcester. Chicken & Rice Guys lunch is served Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., during the trial, according to the Worcester Business Journal and the company's website. Hours can change, so check cnrguys.com or the company's Instagram before you head out.
Woburn: 218 West Cummings Park, Woburn. The hub is set to open in October, with takeout coming later. Check cnrguys.com for updates.
Sources: Worcester Business Journal; Winchester News (announcement from Cummings Properties); Hoodline; NBC Boston; Chicken & Rice Guys (cnrguys.com).