German Doner Kebab to open 47 UK restaurants this year

The move will almost double the brand’s number of venues and builds on the 12 restaurants that the company opened during 2020.

Target locations include Manchester, Newcastle, Blackburn, Huddersfield, Stockport, Stirling and additional sites in London and Glasgow.

German Doner Kebab employs around 1,500 people in the UK and has a development pipeline of 350 franchise units over the next seven years.

The company, which is owned by the Hero Brands group, operates 76 restaurants in UK, Europe and Middle East, and is expanding in Saudi Arabia and Ireland. It was founded in Germany in 1989, and launched in the UK in 2016.

Last year it opened restaurants​​ in Liverpool, Nottingham, Bradford, Plymouth and additional sites in London and Edinburgh. Expansion is also planned in Canada and US following the opening of its first restaurant in Ottawa.

“Our plans will almost double our portfolio and create in the region of 1,800 jobs as we continue to disrupt the market space and maintain our mission of building the fast-casual brand of the future,” says CEO Imran Sayeed.

“We have developed strong franchise relationships in key global locations, and we are now working closely with our partners to take forward development plans and bring the German Doner Kebab experience to new regions.”

The company has reported an 81% year-on-year rise in UK total sales in 2020 with same-store sales up 51% on 2019.