German Doner Kebab facts for kids
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GDK restaurant in Sutton, London, United Kingdom
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| Industry | Fast casual kebab shop |
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| Founded | 2013 Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
| Headquarters |
Glasgow, Scotland
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United Kingdom (2017–)
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Area served
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Key people
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| Products | Kebab |
| Owner | Hero Brands (2017–) |
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Number of employees
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3,500 (UK) (2022) |
German Doner Kebab (GDK) is a popular chain of kebab restaurants. They are known for their special German-style doner kebabs. Hero Brands has owned GDK since 2017.
The idea for GDK started with a restaurant in Berlin, Germany, in 1989. The first GDK restaurant opened in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in 2013. Later, the company's main office moved to Glasgow, Scotland. Today, GDK has over 100 restaurants. You can find them in the United Kingdom, Sweden, North America, and the Middle East.
The Story of GDK
Hero Brands owns most of GDK. This company is based in Glasgow, Scotland. Hero Brands also owns other food brands. These include Island Poké, which serves Hawaiian food, and Choppaluna, a salad restaurant.
As of January 2024, GDK has restaurants in six countries. These are the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Sweden, Canada, United States, and Saudi Arabia.
The history of GDK goes back to a restaurant in Berlin, Germany, in 1989. Over the next ten years, the food and recipes were improved. Then, in 2013, Farshad Abbaszadeh launched the first "Doner Kebab" franchise in Dubai.
GDK opened its first restaurant in the UK in 2015. By the end of 2017, they had seven locations there. In 2014, the franchise won an award. It was named "Best UAE Franchise Brand" in Dubai.
In 2016, Athif Sarwar visited Dubai. He saw the GDK restaurants and was very impressed. He later gained the rights to open GDK restaurants in the UK. Sarwar then bought the international rights to the brand. He bought them from Farshad Abbaszadeh, who founded GDK.
The Sarwar Family bought the entire chain in 2017. They moved its main office to Glasgow, Scotland.
GDK in the United Kingdom
GDK's first store in the United Kingdom opened on July 6, 2015. It was located on Bull Street in Birmingham, England.
In May 2019, GDK estimated they sold £1 million worth of kebabs each week in the UK. GDK also planned to open a new restaurant every two weeks. This was part of their "relentless UK growth" plan for 2019.
In September 2019, GDK's Fulham Broadway location was rated highly. Tripadvisor called it London's number one place to eat.
By October 2020, GDK had 47 restaurants in the UK. They hoped to open 12 more by the end of that year. In December 2020, their new restaurant in Peterborough became their 50th UK location.
In February 2021, GDK announced plans to open 47 more UK restaurants. They aimed to do this by the end of 2021. They opened 39 new restaurants in the UK in 2021. This added to their 52 existing restaurants from early 2021.
In February 2022, the company announced big plans. They wanted to open 78 more UK restaurants in 2022. This would bring their total to 170 restaurants in the UK. They also planned to hire 2,900 new workers.
GDK opened its 100th UK restaurant on May 10, 2022. This milestone location is in Covent Garden, London.
In June 2022, Atul Pathak partnered with GDK. He used to own many McDonald's restaurants in the UK. They planned to open 30 new GDK sites together.
GDK Around the World
GDK has expanded to many countries. In 2016, they had a location in Doha, Qatar.
By 2018, the chain had 13 sites in the United Arab Emirates. They planned to expand to 55 units there by 2020.
In April 2019, GDK signed a new deal for Saudi Arabia. An agreement with Ajlan Bin Ajlan Group was made. This could lead to 100 restaurants in Saudi Arabia over ten years. In 2021, GDK worked with social media stars in the UAE. They helped promote GDK's "Boss Box" product.
GDK arrived in Sweden in 2014. In July 2019, GDK announced plans to add four more restaurants in Sweden. This would add to their five existing locations.
In 2019, GDK announced plans to open a restaurant in Dublin, Ireland. They hoped to have 40 locations across Ireland by 2020. However, as of 2024, there are no GDK locations in the Republic of Ireland.
GDK opened two restaurants in Canada in 2020. These were in Ottawa and Surrey. In March 2021, GDK announced big goals for Canada. They aimed to open 100 restaurants there over 10 years. They are looking for partners in cities like Calgary, Montreal, and Ottawa. Their main Canadian restaurant opened in Toronto on August 3, 2021.
In May 2020, the company announced plans for the United States. They wanted to open 350 restaurants there. Their first US location was planned for New Jersey. As of October 2023, GDK has opened 9 restaurants in the USA. Their first US restaurant opened at American Dream in New Jersey in October 2021.
What GDK Serves
In the UK, GDK uses beef and chicken meat. This meat is brought in from Germany. This helps keep the food's taste and quality the same. Their special waffle bread is also imported from Germany. In 2015, the chain stated that all its meat is 100% Halal.
