Overview

• The House announced the replacement of Steak n’ Shake in the Rayburn cafeteria with CHA Street Food, a Northern Virginia chain serving Indian and Pakistani-inspired halal cuisine.
• Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) posted on X comparing the change to the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Jerusalem, sparking condemnation and ridicule online.
• Critics highlighted the cultural ignorance of Collins’s remarks, noting CHA Street Food’s American roots and halal cuisine’s broad appeal.
• Observers pointed out the irony of Collins’s outrage, given that Steak n’ Shake is owned by an Iranian-American entrepreneur.
• CHA Street Food is set to open this summer as part of a broader vendor overhaul under new management, which includes other changes like Dunkin’ being replaced by Starbucks.