German Doner Kebab facts for kids
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GDK restaurant in Leeds, UK
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| Industry | Fast casual kebab restaurant |
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| Founded | Founder Sha Alam Hussain 2013 Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
| Headquarters |
Glasgow, Scotland
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United Kingdom (2017–)
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Number of locations
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170 |
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Area served
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Key people
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| Products | Kebab |
| Owner | Hero Brands (2017–) |
German Doner Kebab (also known as GDK) is a popular fast casual restaurant chain. It is a modern type of kebab chain that focuses on delicious German style doner kebab meals. The company serves food across the world and has its main headquarters located in the city of Glasgow, Scotland.
The restaurant story began with roots reaching back to Berlin in 1989. Modern stores began opening worldwide after founders set up a shop in Dubai in 2013. Today, diners can enjoy food at more than 170 restaurants located across the United Kingdom, Sweden, North America, and the Middle East.
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The History and Growth of German Doner Kebab
German Doner Kebab traces its recipe ideas back to Berlin in Germany during the year 1989. Cooks spent years perfecting their sandwich styles and sauces. The modern franchise officially began in 2013 when the first restaurant opened its doors in Dubai.
The brand quickly won praise for its fresh meals and fun dining spaces. In 2014, it received the Best UAE Franchise Brand title at an awards ceremony in Dubai. A businessman named Athif Sarwar discovered the food while on holiday in Dubai in 2016. He liked the food so much that he secured development rights to open branches in the UK.
The Sarwar family bought the entire brand in 2017 through their business group called Hero Brands. They moved the company headquarters to Glasgow, Scotland. The leadership team wanted to make the chain known all around the world. In 2022, leaders shared plans to list the company on the New York Stock Exchange to boost growth across North America. In March 2023, Simon Wallis became the chief executive to guide new restaurant openings. In May 2025, Hero Brands secured fresh investment funds from an investment group named True to open more stores.
Global Restaurant Locations and International Expansion
German Doner Kebab serves customers in many different countries around the globe. Families can find restaurants across Europe, North America, and the Middle East.
Expanding Across the United Kingdom
The chain opened its very first UK location on Bull Street in Birmingham on 6 July 2015. British diners enjoyed the tasty meals, and the business grew quickly.
By May 2019, UK branches served more than one million pounds worth of kebabs each week. In September 2019, customer reviews on Tripadvisor ranked the Fulham Broadway restaurant in London as the top place to eat in the city. The chain opened its 50th UK restaurant in Peterborough in December 2020.
The brand opened its landmark 100th UK branch at Covent Garden in London on 10 May 2022. That same year, restaurant expert Atul Pathak, who previously ran forty-three McDonald's locations, partnered with the company to open thirty new spots. In January 2025, GDK opened its 144th UK shop inside London Victoria station. Later in 2025, new stores opened at Cambridge Services, in Norwich, and at the Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent.
Middle Eastern Restaurants
The Middle East played a huge role in the early success of the company. After starting in the United Arab Emirates, the brand expanded by opening a location in Doha, Qatar in 2016.
By 2018, thirteen locations operated across the United Arab Emirates. The company teamed up with the Ajlan Bin Ajlan Group in April 2019 to plan 100 locations across Saudi Arabia. In 2021, the chain worked with popular online creators in the UAE to promote meal deals like the Boss Box.
Locations in North America
The company entered North America by opening stores in Canada in 2020, starting in Ottawa and Surrey.
Leaders set an ambitious goal to open 100 Canadian stores over ten years. They targeted large cities like Calgary, Montreal, and more sites in Ottawa. The main flagship Canadian store opened in Toronto on 3 August 2021.
South of the border, the chain entered the United States by opening at American Dream mall in New Jersey in October 2021. In January 2025, GDK launched a major national advertising campaign called Open Your Mouth Mind. The humorous advertisements helped introduce traditional street kebabs to American food lovers.
Branches in Sweden and Ireland
Swedish customers first tasted the menu when restaurants opened there in 2014. The company added four more Swedish stores in 2019 to meet hungry demand.
The chain also expanded into Ireland by opening shops in Dublin. By 2026, two thriving locations served meals to local Dublin families and visitors.
Delicious Foods and Menu Products
German Doner Kebab prepares food with ingredients chosen to keep every meal tasty and reliable. In the UK, the company imports its beef and chicken directly from Germany to make sure every sandwich tastes the same.
The restaurant uses signature toasted waffle bread that comes from Germany. The bread is pressed warm so that it is crispy on the outside and soft inside. Cooks fill the bread with meat, fresh lettuce, red cabbage, onions, and special sauces.
All meat used in these restaurants is certified Halal, which means it meets specific dietary guidelines for Muslim diners. The beef doner meat recipe combines beef with poultry meat to make every slice tender and juicy. Customers can choose between hearty sandwiches, wraps, boxes filled with meat and fries, and vegetarian choices.
