Kwik Meal Kin Opens New Cart, Touches off Feud Over 45th & 5th

It sounds like the cops were pretty busy with vendor complaints on Monday.  There was the ice cream fist fight on 50th & 6th, the Schnitzel Truck twittered that cops were called to a vendor fight downtown, and there was this thing on 45th & 5th…

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I got word a few weeks ago that the owner of Kwik Meal, Muhammed Rahman, has a brother who opened a new cart on 45th & 5th, and was selling biriyani (in addition to chicken and lamb over rice.) Even though this new venture is not associated with Kwik Meal (this year’s Street Meat Palooza winner) in any way, I was still excited to try the food- after all, cooking skills could be genetic, right?  Sadly though, by the time I made it over to the corner, the brother’s cart had disappeared.

You may remember that Kwik Meal, which currently has four carts in their empire, used to park another cart on the corner of 45th & 5th called Kwik Meal 2, before it was stolen from the garage it was parked in.  They still operate Kwik Gourmet on 47th and Park, Quick Delight on 45th & 3rd, and Kwick Meal IV on 37th and 6th. But 45th and 5th has remained Kwik Meal-less… until Monday.

Once Rahman heard that his brother had parked this new cart in an old Kwik Meal spot, he apparently decided he wanted the spot back.  On Monday he moved the Kwick Meal IV cart from 37th & 6th to 45th and 5th, touching off a heated argument between Rahman and the hot dog vendors that park on 45th & 5th. (The same vendors who presumably chased Rahman’s brother away from the spot a few weeks ago.)

Rahman explained that he had “paid” for the spot on 45th and 5th many years ago (in a deal with a vendor who used to park there) and was still entitled to it, even though he hasn’t parked there for awhile.  The argument escalated, and the cops were called- but since the Kwick Meal IV cart was parked in a legal spot it was allowed to stay.  They were still parked on 45th & 5th yesterday, but it seemed like the issue hasn’t been fully resolved.  Rahman hopes to keep the Kwick Meal IV cart in that spot… but you never know.

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As for his brother, I found out that his new cart (called Fahima Halal Food) is now parked on the NE corner of 42nd & 9th serving up biriyani and real lamb meat instead of gyro (naturally.)  It’s a tad bit out of bounds for street meat, but you know I won’t be able to resist.

Related:
Rule #1 of Vendor Fight Club is You Don’t Talk About Vendor Fight Club
Meal O’Bama Pressured Into Changing Name to Kwick Meal IV

8 Comments

  • That sounds so shady – “paid” for the spot. Haha.

    First, Biryani vs. Aamir, now Kwik vs. Fahima.

  • Real lamb meat instead of splam… reason enough to support Fahima and Kwik Meal. The real stuff trumps the splam every time…

    Prediction: There will be a cart drive-by or other gunplay before Xmas

  • Wayne, was just going to say how long before the 1st vendy murder!

  • and the lamb is always tasty and NEVER chewy!
    -kwik meal shill ad campaign

  • We must all be mujahideen and fight back the oppressors of the trucks–the damn hot dog vendors!

  • UGH! 37th and 6th is the cart I go to! Fahima Halal dude, park there! I’ll buy your falafel!

  • Yes, my dreams have been answered! 45th and 5th was my Kwik Meal cart and I was devasted when they disappeared. So much more convenient for me than 47th and Park, where I actually went yesterday. I’m excited.. better go stock up on the Charmin at my apartment.

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    I was so excited that they had moved to my corner at 37th. Though the guys that work that cart are complete airheads. Our office is full of stories about them. Once, one of the guys wrapped my falafel, handed it to me and said “four fifty.” I said “no, it’s falafel, four dollars.” And he said “no, it’s chicken.” This only seconds after he had made the sandwich. Another time I asked him to NOT put the pita on the grill (I’m vegetarian) and after going back and forth trying to break through each others’ language barriers, he scrubbed the grill clean (there was no one waiting). It wasn’t what I had asked for, but thanks!

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