Anyone who lives in or has spent significant time in New York City will have almost certainly come across prominent food establishments like Nom Wah Tea Parlor, Melt Shop and The Halal Guys.
The latter was launched by three Egyptian immigrants in 1990 as a single hot dog cart selling gyro meat platters on the corner of 53rd and Sixth Avenue while Nom Wah is a Chinatown staple and the longest continuous operating dim sum restaurant in New York (while this matter is up to some debate, possibly also all of the U.S.)
Melt Shop, whose first branch was opened in 2011 by Spencer Rubin cross-town from the Halal Guys on 53rd and Lexington, also tells a story of NYC entrepreneurship as what was then a pioneering concept of “elevated” grilled cheese sandwiches quickly expanded into a major food movement.
Nom Wah, The Halal Guys and Melt Shop come to Terminal Five at JFK
As part of the $100 million renovation of Terminal 5 (the terminal that was built in 2008 for use by JetBlue Airways) at JFK Airport, these three chains have had their official ribbon-cutting moment on June 1. Opened through airport hospitality group OTG, the three restaurants are located within a few steps of each other post-security near Gate 25 and have been selected as part of a continued nod to New York City.
New York brands that opened during the first stage of the terminal renovation last year include Artichoke Pizzeria, Jacob’s Pickles and Leon’s Bagel.
Related: New York just got 14 new Michelin restaurants
The Melt Shop and The Halal Guys have been designed as fast-casual counters for travelers to grab on the way to a flight while Nom Wah is a sit-down restaurant with a sleek bar across from the main seating space for those who want to grab a quick drink without sitting down for full table service.
JetBlue
“Authentic flavors that represent our city”: Halal Guys CEO
“What started as a NYC food cart at 53rd and 6th in 1990 has become a global brand, but New York remains our home,” Halal Guys CEO Ahmed Abouelnein said of the opening. “Airports are cultural crossroads, and this is the perfect place to share authentic flavors that represent our city and serve the diverse travelers passing through.”
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The menu is a curated selection of the main restaurant in Chinatown: soup and shrimp dumplings, pan-fried noodles and classic Cantonese vegetables dishes like smashed cucumber salad and eggplant stuffed with shrimp as well as a bar menu of cocktails with Asian flavors.
With JetBlue established by aviation entrepreneur David Neeleman in 1998 as a local airline, the carrier has used the renovation of its terminal to turn its main hub at JFK into a way to stress this New York connection.
In December 2025, the new 9,000-square-foot BlueHouse lounge was opened to status and business class travelers one gate before the new dining concourse. Particularly fun touches in reference to NYC inside the lounge include a mural made to look like the turquoise celestial ceiling of Grand Central Concourse and counters serving more quintessential city staples like bacon-egg-and-cheese rolls and pastrami sandwiches, lemon cheesecake and Joe Coffee.
Related: An airport hotel is your chance to plane-spot from a rooftop pool
