German Doner Kebab to open 47 new U.K. locations before the end of the year

The fast-growing restaurant franchise will almost double its current footprint.

German Doner Kebab, a Glasgow-based restaurant franchise with sites throughout Europe as well as in the Middle East, U.S., and Canada, has announced plans to open 47 restaurants by the end of 2021.

With 76 sites currently open worldwide, this expansion will nearly double the franchise’s current footprint. It is also a sign of exponential growth for the burgeoning brand, with GDK opening 12 new sites in 2020.

“We have been extremely agile during the pandemic and there continues to be a huge demand for our game-changing kebabs,” said Imran Sayeed, CEO. “It is therefore very exciting to be announcing these latest growth plans for the next 12 months as we build on the great momentum we delivered during 2020.

“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.”

GDK delivered a significant rise in sales last year, up 81 per cent from the previous 12 months. Same-store sales in 2020 were also up 51 per cent on 2019.

New U.K. locations are currently planned for Manchester, Newcastle, Blackburn, Huddersfield, Stockport, Stirling, as well as additional locations in London and Glasgow. Rich Collie, head of project management, will lead this ongoing development.

“The next 12 months are going to be extremely exciting for German Doner Kebab as we expand our footprint and reach more consumers across the U.K. and our international growth regions,” said Sayeed. “The global demand reflects our position as one of the world’s most exciting fast-casual brands.”