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INTERVIEW German Doner Kebab’s winning formula has resulted in rapid expansion for multi-unit franchisee Hemanth Bollini ime was when a kebab was something you grabbed in a hurry on the way to the last bus after a few drinks with mates and tried not to imagine what mysteries might lurk beneath its usually greasy surface. Times have changed. And so has the kebab, which has metamorphosised, through eye-catching branding and thoughtful marketing, into something classic, authentic and, above all, healthy. German Doner Kebab, known as GDK, is a fast food franchise that was created in Germany in 1989 with a mission to launch an easy to manage business and provide fresh, tasty and nutritious food, combined with elegant surroundings and excellent customer service. Disrupting the market As a GDK spokesman says: “Food trends can come and go, but there’s no denying that the global shift towards finding an artisanal experience that doesn’t cost the earth - in a street food or food-to-go format, rather than a stuffy restaurant - is here to stay. “While dozens of gourmet burger brands fight it out to be number one in their sector, GDK is the undoubted leader in the kebab market. GDK is very family friendly, loved by the Instagram generation and has well and truly disrupted the kebab market.” Doing more than his share of disruption is 38-year-old Hemanth Bollini, who has opened five GDK restaurant-cum-takeaway franchises in the London area and has plans for another 15 in the not too distant future. He says: “The concept of German Doner Kebab instantly appealed to me. The store concept was very attractive and the food quality was extremely high. The fast food market is very competitive and usually seen as unhealthy, but GDK has brought a new dimension to the kebab market by offering a quality fresh gourmet range that is also healthy.” Origins of the kebab They were eating kebabs in the 14th century, when soldiers grilled chunks of freshly-hunted animals on swords over open fires. Historians believe the doner kebab originated from Turkey as part of a main meal eaten with rice, bread and vegetables and was brought to Germany by Turkish immigrants. But they found that German customers preferred eating kebabs on the go, so turned them into a quick takeaway snack by putting salad and meat inside bread. There are almost as many entrepreneurs willing to take the credit for the German innovation as there are varieties of kebab. One claimant was Turkish guest worker Kadir Nurman, who claims to have created it in 1972. He arrived in Germany to work in the printing industry and realised there weren’t many substantial options for busy German workers looking to eat lunch on the go. Others anxious to claim the credit were Turkish immigrants Nevzat Salim, who claimed to have produced the first German kebab in 1969, and Mehmet Aygun, who says he came up with the idea in 1971. Whoever invented kebabs, Germans currently buy two million a day from over 40,000 outlets. They’re the country’s number one street food and demand shows no sign of slowing down. Not surprisingly, the GDK franchise took off pretty spectacularly when it was launched in Germany in 1989. It opened its first store in Berlin and spent the next 10 years perfecting its products and business plan. Today the company has over 60 restaurants thriving in Europe and the Middle East, while rapid expansion plans are also on the cusp of becoming a reality in the USA, Canada and Ireland. What you get for your money The cost of investing in a store is around £250,000- £300,000 and includes comprehensive training and support. GDK’s week-long induction programme covers brand values, the use of operational software, T LOVE AT FIRST BITE WORDS BY TONY JAMES THE AUTHOR An award winning journalist and author, Tony James specialises in business and sport 14 WHAT FRANCHISE | ISSUE 15.9