My Halal Burger Chain Brings In $4 Million A Year
Shazak Contractor left his $300k IT career to build Cousin's Burger, becoming Philadelphia's first halal smash burger chain that now generates over $4 million annually across 8 locations. Starting with a $15,000 investment after a successful food festival test, he's expanded to multiple restaurant concepts while maintaining majority ownership and has ambitious plans for national and international growth.
Summary
Shazak Contractor, a 44-year-old founder and CEO, transformed from a risk-averse IT consultant earning nearly $300,000 annually to a successful restaurant entrepreneur. Born in Gujarat, India, and immigrating to the US at age 6, Contractor grew up as one of only two Muslims in his high school and later built a 24-year career in IT consulting. His restaurant journey began unexpectedly when a friend signed him up for a food festival, where he chose to make smash burgers as the 'easiest' option. The festival was a family effort that sold out by 6 PM, creating a transformative experience that led him to quit IT consulting three months later. Contractor founded Cousin's Burger as Philadelphia's first halal smash burger chain, addressing the lack of quality American halal food options beyond mainstream chains like The Halal Guys. Starting with a $15,000 personal investment, the business faced early operational challenges including receipt printer failures and overwhelming opening day crowds, but achieved profitability from day one. The company has since expanded to 8 Cousin's Burger locations plus additional concepts including Cousin's Smokehouse (Texas-style barbecue) and Cousin's Pizza, operating across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. With two silent partners owning 10% collectively, Contractor maintains control while the business generates over $4 million annually. Current challenges include rising food costs, requiring burger prices from $7-14, and ensuring each location receives appropriate support for marketing and staffing. His vision extends beyond serving the Muslim community to bridging cultural gaps and destigmatizing Muslim representation through quality food that appeals to everyone. Future expansion plans include becoming the next In-N-Out or Shake Shack, with goals for US-wide presence, Canadian expansion by year-end, and Middle East/European markets within two years.
About this episode
Shahezad Contractor, 44, is the founder and CEO of Cousin's Burger, a halal restaurant chain with eight locations across the Northeast. The Cousin's brand is known for its smash burgers, but also includes a pizza and barbecue restaurant. The business brought in over $4 million in total revenue and was profitable in 2025. Produced and shot by: Tasia Jensen Managing Producer: Beatriz Bajuelos Editor: Marisa Forziati Animator: Christina Locopo Senior Production Manager: Kathryn Mavrikakis Additional Footage: Shahezad Contractor, Getty Images Subscribe to CNBC Make It.: http://cnb.cx/2kxl2rf Watch CNBC on the go with CNBC+: https://www.cnbc.com/WatchCNBCPlus About CNBC Make It.: CNBC Make It. is a new section of CNBC dedicated to making you smarter about managing your business, career, and money. Want to get ahead at work with AI? Sign up for CNBC's new online course, Beyond the Basics: How to Use AI to Supercharge Your Work. Learn advanced AI skills like building custom GPTs and using AI agents to boost your productivity today. Sign up today: https://cnb.cx/3Z9UNcS Connect with CNBC Make It. Online Get the latest updates: https://www.cnbc.com/make-it Find CNBC Make It. on Facebook: https://cnb.cx/LikeCNBCMakeIt Find CNBC Make It. on Twitter: https://cnb.cx/FollowCNBCMakeIt Find CNBC Make It. on Instagram: https://bit.ly/InstagramCNBCMakeIt Find CNBC Make It. On LinkedIn: https://cnb.cx/MakeItLinkedIn #CNBC #CNBCMakeIt #HowIMadeIt My Halal Burger Chain Brings In $4 Million A Year
Key Insights
- Test product concepts at low-risk venues like food festivals before major investment - Contractor validated his smash burger concept by preparing for 500 people with a backup plan to give away unsold food, leading to discovery of market demand
- Maintain majority ownership and control during early growth phases by bootstrapping and limiting external investment - keeping partners to only 10% collective ownership allowed Contractor to preserve brand direction and decision-making authority while scaling to $4M+ revenue
Topics
Transcript
I'm very risk averse and so I had a very cushy job in IT. I was consulting with some of the best brands in the world but we did a food festival and once I saw the potential I just started learning as much as possible. AI was starting to become a thing so I was like is my job gonna be around forever? Why not take the risk? I thought I'd be like a VP of some IT company right now and so this is very surreal to actually have my own restaurant. A-plus, I like the best chicken I ever tasted! My name is Shazak Contractor, I'm 44 years old. I'm the founder and CEO of Cousin's Burger…
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