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 | 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 (GDK) is a popular chain of restaurants. They specialize in serving delicious doner kebabs, which are a type of German-style kebab. Since 2017, the company has been owned by Hero Brands.
GDK's story began with a restaurant in Berlin, Germany, back in 1989. The very first GDK restaurant opened in Dubai in 2013. It was started by Farshad Abbaszadeh and his wife, Leila Zomorrodian. In 2017, Hero Brands bought most of the company. After that, GDK moved its main office to Glasgow, Scotland. Today, GDK has over 160 restaurants. You can find them in places like the United Kingdom, Sweden, North America, and the Middle East.
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How GDK Started and Grew
GDK is mostly owned by a company called Hero Brands. Hero Brands is based in Glasgow, Scotland. They also own other food brands like Island Poké and Choppaluna.
As of August 2025, GDK has restaurants in six different countries. These countries are the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Sweden, Canada, the United States, and Saudi Arabia.
The idea for GDK came from a kebab restaurant in Berlin, Germany, which opened in 1989. Over the next ten years, the food and recipes got even better. 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 in Dubai for being the "Best UAE Franchise Brand."
In 2016, Athif Sarwar discovered the GDK franchise while on holiday in Dubai. He later got the rights to develop GDK restaurants in the UK. Sarwar then bought the international rights to the brand from Farshad Abbaszadeh.
The Sarwar Family bought the chain in 2017. They moved its main office to Glasgow, Scotland, in the United Kingdom. In March 2023, Simon Wallis became the new chief executive of GDK. Robin Caley also joined as the chief development officer.
In May 2025, Hero Brands, which owns GDK, received money from a company called True. This money will help GDK keep growing in the UK and around the world.
GDK in the United Kingdom
GDK's first restaurant in the United Kingdom opened on July 6, 2015. It was located on Bull Street in Birmingham, England.
In May 2019, people estimated that GDK was selling £1 million worth of kebabs every week in the UK. GDK also announced plans to open a new restaurant every two weeks for the rest of 2019. This was part of their big plan for "relentless UK growth."
In September 2019, GDK's Fulham Broadway location was rated London's top place to eat on Tripadvisor. By October 2020, GDK had 47 restaurants in the UK. They hoped to open 12 more by the end of 2020. In December 2020, their new restaurant in Peterborough became their 50th UK location.
In February 2021, the chain announced plans to open 47 more restaurants in the UK that year. They opened 39 new restaurants in 2021. This added to their 52 existing restaurants at the start of 2021.
In February 2022, GDK announced plans to open 78 more restaurants in the UK in 2022. This would bring their total to 170 restaurants in the UK. They also planned to hire 2,900 new workers, adding to their 3,500 staff at the time.
GDK opened its 100th UK restaurant in Covent Garden, London, on May 10, 2022. In June 2022, Atul Pathak, who used to own many McDonald's restaurants, partnered with GDK. They planned to open 30 new GDK locations in the UK together.
In January 2025, GDK opened its first restaurant inside a London train station. This new location at Victoria Station was their 144th UK outlet. It was also their 55th restaurant in London. In March 2025, GDK opened its first Cambridge location. This was at the Cambridge Services on the A14. In May 2025, GDK opened its first Norwich location. They also opened a new restaurant in Kent at Bluewater Shopping Centre.
GDK in the Middle East
In 2016, GDK had a restaurant in Doha, Qatar. By 2018, the chain had 13 locations in the United Arab Emirates. They planned to expand to 55 restaurants there by 2020.
In April 2019, GDK signed a new agreement to grow in Saudi Arabia. This deal with Ajlan Bin Ajlan Group could lead to 100 restaurants in Saudi Arabia over ten years. In 2021, GDK worked with social media influencers in the UAE. They helped promote GDK's "Boss Box" product.
GDK in Sweden
GDK first 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 at the time.
GDK in Canada
GDK opened two restaurants in Canada in 2020. These were in Ottawa and Surrey.
In March 2021, GDK announced big plans to open 100 restaurants in Canada over 10 years. They were looking for partners to open multiple restaurants. They wanted to expand in cities like Calgary, Montreal, and more places in Ottawa. GDK's main restaurant in Canada opened in Toronto on August 3, 2021.
GDK in the United States
In May 2020, the company announced plans to open 350 restaurants in the United States. Their first US location was planned for New Jersey. As of August 2025, GDK has opened nine restaurants in the US.
GDK opened its first US restaurant at American Dream in New Jersey in October 2021. In January 2025, GDK launched its first advertising campaign in the U.S. It was called "Open Your Mouth Mind." The campaign used fun visuals and humor. It aimed to introduce American audiences to GDK's modern take on the traditional kebab.
What GDK Serves
In the UK, GDK uses beef and chicken meat imported from Germany. This helps them keep their food consistent and high quality. Their special waffle toasted bread is also imported from Germany. In 2015, GDK stated that all their meat is 100% Halal.
