German Doner Kebab set to open 47 new UK restaurants by end of year

Launches planned for Manchester, Newcastle, Blackburn, Huddersfield, Stockport and Stirling, as well as additional sites in London and Glasgow

German Doner Kebab will almost double its UK footprint this year, as it plans to open 47 new restaurants.

The ambitious growth strategy will build on the 12 restaurants GDK opened in 2020 and will create 1,800 new jobs.

Outlets are set to open in Manchester, Newcastle, Blackburn, Huddersfield, Stockport and Stirling, as well as additional sites in London and Glasgow.

Rich Collie, who joined from Nando’s as head of project management, will manage the roll-out.

The fast-casual brand delivered a significant rise in total UK sales in 2020, up 81 per cent from the previous 12 months. Same store sales for 2020 were up 51 per cent on 2019.

GDK said it will also forge ahead with international growth in 2021.

Expansion is planned in Canada and US following the launch of its first restaurant in Ottawa.

Further growth is also set to be announced for Ireland and Spain, as well as Saudi Arabia.

GDK CEO Imran Sayeed says: “We’ve been extremely agile during the pandemic and there continues to be a huge demand for our game changing kebabs.

“It’s therefore very exciting to be announcing these latest growth plans for the next 12 months, as we build on the great momentum we delivered during 2020.

“The next 12 months are going to be extremely exciting for German Doner Kebab, as we expand our footprint and reach more consumers across the UK and our international growth regions.

“We’ve developed strong franchise relationships in key global locations and are now working closely with our partners to take forward development plans and bring the German Doner Kebab experience to new regions.”