German Doner Kebab to open 47 UK restaurants in 2021

Our plans will almost double our portfolio and create in the region of 1800 jobs – Imran Sayeed, GDK CEO

One of the UK’s fastest-growing restaurant chains has announced that it will be aiming to open 47 new restaurants by the end of 2021.

German Doner Kebab will be looking to almost double its footprint in a bid to widen the GDK experience to more cities and towns throughout the country.

The fast-casual brand will build on the 12 restaurants it opened last year by introducing in the region of 1800 new jobs.

The ambitious growth strategy will see stores in Manchester, Newcastle, Blackburn, Huddersfield, Stockport, Stirling and additional sites in London and Glasgow.

While GDK enjoyed a significant rise in UK total sales in 2020, up 81 per cent from the previous 12 months, same-store sales for 2020 were also up 51 per cent on 2019.

Now employing over 1500 people throughout the country, the brand boasts a development pipeline of 350 franchise units over the next seven years.

CEO Imran Sayeed said: “Our plans will almost double our portfolio and create in the region of 1800 jobs as we continue to disrupt the market space and maintain our mission of building the fast-casual brand of the future.”

Following the launch of its first restaurant in Canada’s Ottawa, GDK’s will also see international growth in 2021 with an announcement set to be made for Ireland and Spain, as well as Saudi Arabia.