Glasgow-based German Doner Kebab serving up major global expansion

Glasgow-headquartered fast food brand German Doner Kebab has unveiled major global growth plans, including targeted rapid expansion in North America and the Middle East plus the UK – as it deems 2021 a “landmark year”.

The chain – part of the Hero Brands group – says it is now growing quickly in the USA, Canada, and Saudi Arabia, and across key locations in Europe, having already made major in-roads into the UK, Sweden and Middle East, with more than 80 restaurants worldwide.

It recently opened its first location in the US at the American Dream Mall in New Jersey and its third restaurant in Canada, in downtown Toronto.

The latter opened its doors in August following the launch of its first two restaurants, in Ottawa and Surrey, last year, and the aim is to open 100 restaurants in Canada over the next ten years.

The brand says it is 'excited' to be expanding its footprint into new strategic regions. Picture: contributed.

As for the US, German Doner Kebab said the American Dream Mall “provides a strategic anchor location” to grow in the country, with ten branches now planned across New York, New Jersey and Houston in Texas in 2022.

The brand is also set to open its first restaurant in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, next month. The Ajlan Bin Ajlan Group has been signed up as the master franchisee in the country, with a development agreement of 100 restaurants over the next five years.

The regional plans run alongside “ambitious” growth plans in the UK, with 47 restaurants set to have open by the end of 2021 – including 22 debuting between now and December 31.

The brand says it is “revolutionising the kebab across the globe, bringing a fresh, high-quality taste sensation that has made it the number one spot to enjoy a kebab”.

Chief executive Imran Sayeed said: “We have been extremely agile during the pandemic and have invested heavily in our infrastructure and product innovation to ensure we are geared for future growth.

“2021 is now proving to be a landmark year in our story as we expand our footprint and bring the German Doner Kebab experience to more consumers in the UK and across defined international growth regions.

Momentum

“The global demand reflects our position as one of the world’s most exciting fast-casual brands and we are excited to have opened our first restaurant in the US and bringing momentum to our growth strategy in Saudi Arabia.

“We have developed strong franchise relationships to meet our ambitions and we are working closely with them to invest in localised global regions and create sustainable employment as we maintain our mission of building the fast-casual brand of the future.”

German Doner Kebab opened its first restaurant in Berlin in 1989. Now, its portfolio in Scotland alone includes Edinburgh – including Waverley Mall, Lothian Road, and St James Quarter (which is set to open by the end of this year) – as well as Glasgow city centre and West End, plus Stirling and Dundee.

In December 2020 it opened its 50th restaurant in the UK – in Peterborough – and said it had more than 1,500 staff across the country.

Additionally, the kebab chain in April last year said it would donate 30,000 free meals via Deliveroo to frontline NHS workers and vulnerable people unable to leave their homes.

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