“A diverse workforce is especially valuable in franchising and hospitality”

A highly systemised and easily scalable business model, Döner Shack is determined to change people’s perceptions of the kebab

Fast-casual restaurants have become the decade’s most important food trend. Not only have they changed the way people eat and how ingredients are sourced, but they also provide a combination of higher-quality fresher food, served quickly, without the option of full-service dining. It’s a unique model that provides a relaxed experience for the customer, and it is fantastic for food franchise concepts.

With the global fast-casual restaurant market being valued at $125.6bn in 2019 and expected to reach $209.1bn by 2027, there is an incredible market potential for franchisees in this sector. Döner Shack, the Berlin street food concept, is already taking a slice of the action, standing out amongst the competition by serving up healthy options with the appeal of something customisable and convenient.

Ambitious plans for rapid growth of the network

One of the driving forces behind Döner Shack and its entrepreneurial success is co-founder, Laura Bruce. With 11 years of experience in the hospitality sector, including sister brand Döner Haus, Laura has ambitious plans for the brand to become the number one kebab franchise worldwide. Along with co-founder, Sanjeev Sanghera, the duo plans to open more than 150 restaurants over the next five years and be in every major city in the UK. They are also committed to growing the business internationally.

Since the first Döner Shack restaurant opened in Leeds in 2019, the brand has been increasing its UK footprint with three further sites in Manchester, Leicester and Glasgow. Serving unrivalled and ethically sourced ingredients, the franchise will be making its debut in Baker Street, London, with the opening of its flagship restaurant in the late autumn. This marks the first of four new openings planned for the capital over the next six months.

The network of multi-unit franchise partners is rapidly gaining an impressive reputation as one of the leading franchise brands in the fast-casual restaurant sector. They are extremely hungry to scale up their businesses and aim to open between 10 and 15 new outlets over the next year while creating up to 500 jobs.

Diverse workforce

In Döner Shack’s quest for global dominance, the franchisor is continually strengthening its head office team to ensure it recruits the right people with the right mix of professional skills. The franchise’s most recent appointment is global franchise director, Nil Naik, who brings a wealth of experience and expertise with over 20 years in the franchising industry. He also has a strong track record in securing agreements on a domestic and international scale, which will enable the brand to accelerate its plans both in the UK and overseas.

“We are gender inclusive at Döner Shack, and one of my roles has been to ensure we have equal representation of women as I believe they offer an important and different perspective to our franchise,” explained Laura.

“A diverse workforce is especially valuable in franchising and hospitality, particularly as they are historically both male-dominated industries.

“Women are natural leaders, and I’m delighted to see more companies putting a greater emphasis on gaining and retaining female talent. We have recently boosted our support team with three new recruits, including two strong female leads in our marketing division, Alex and Louise, and now half of our head office team is female. Together, we are driving Döner Shack forward as a unified team to strengthen the foundations on which the brand has been built.”

Innovation and flexibility

Döner Shack is a highly systemised, simple and easily scalable business model. It is already pioneering in its innovation and technology and is one of the most fashionable and profitable fast-casual concepts in the food industry. Laura’s approach has always focused on her expertise and knowledge of the restaurant industry. She has ensured that the brand is spearheaded to become a national and globally recognised brand, including conceptualising ideas and branding, menu development, store design and introducing the most robust and efficient systems in the industry, including robotics and advanced operating procedures to prepare the food.

“Delivering good food is our number one objective, but ensuring convenience is maintained is a close second,” said Laura. “We offer flexibility and fit seamlessly with today’s social media culture. We know from the footfall in our restaurants that we are providing our customers with a sought-after product offering a new generation of street food.

“We serve up to 3,000 kebabs per week per store, which demonstrates that people are loving the authentic taste of the Berlin doner kebab filled with freshly made quality meat, salads and signature sauces… something they would not expect from previous visits to a kebab shop.”

Shaping the future of the fast-casual industry

Döner Shack is determined to change people’s perceptions of the kebab and for its lean high-quality kebabs to become an everyday option for eating out. From London to Glasgow, Birmingham and beyond, the franchise is set to secure the brand’s legacy one community at a time, thanks to the popularity of fast-casual dining and their proven concept.

Döner Shack is a brand with robust operational systems, authentic recipes, innovative and targeted marketing strategies, a strong financial model and a long-term growth strategy. Franchisees can build their own highly successful and profitable businesses which are simple, scalable and efficient, whether that be single or multiple restaurants.

At a glance

Established:

2017

Number of franchised outlets:

4 (100+ signed development agreements)

Location of units:

UK

Investment range:

£450,000 – £600,000

Minimum required capital:

£250,000

Contact:

franchise@donershack.com