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German Doner Kebab
German Doner Kebab (GDK) is a premium quick-service restaurant (QSR) franchise specializing in gourmet kebabs made with healthy, nutritious, locally produced ingredients and a proprietary blend of traditional spices, offered for dine-in, take-away, and delivery. The business model focuses on multi-site development agreements requiring franchisees to open at least 5 outlets in designated high-traffic metropolitan or suburban areas with good visibility and parking. It targets general consumers seeking high-quality, nutritious fast-casual dining options in busy retail spaces, street kiosks, or malls.
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Franchise Costs
6% royalty + 3% marketing fund + $180-$360/mo systems fee
Financial Performance
Item 19 Financial Performance
This franchise did not provide Item 19 financial performance data.
Be careful if you are interested in investing. The lack of financial performance representations may indicate limited data or varying results across franchises.
Extracted Item 19 Section
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Unlock financial performance dataGerman Doner Kebab Franchise Analysis
German Doner Kebab bursts onto the U.S. fast-casual scene with gourmet kebabs that promise healthy twists on street food favorites, but its tiny footprint raises eyebrows amid bold multi-unit demands. The latest FDD teases expansion momentum and development agreements locking in at least five outlets per franchisee, signaling high commitment from day one. What do the financials and growth trajectory reveal about turning this international import into a profitable portfolio?
Item 7 lays out the initial investment at $635,500-$1,123,000, covering build-out for high-traffic spots like malls or retail strips, equipment, and initial inventory—steep for a QSR but aligned with premium positioning from Dallas HQ. Franchise fee hits $30,000, followed by 6% royalty, 3% brand fund, and $180-$360 monthly systems fee; no Item 19 earnings claim means you're flying blind on sales without seller disclosures. With only 9 locations (up 29% from 7 in 2023) and 2 projected new units, GDK International pushes multi-site deals in metro/suburban zones, betting on density for delivery and takeout dominance.
Growth from 2017 franchising start looks promising yet unproven stateside, as the system's youth shows zero terminations or transfers in recent FDDs, but scant units limit benchmarks. That +29% jump underscores hype around nutritious, spice-blended kebabs targeting busy diners, yet the $1M+ upper investment demands quick ramp-up in competitive QSR turf. If you're eyeing scalable fast-casual, this multi-unit mandate could multiply returns fast, but low location count screams pioneer risk—crunch the high-visibility site math before signing.
Analysis based on the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. All figures should be independently verified before making investment decisions.
How German Doner Kebab Compares
| Franchise | Investment | Fee | Royalty | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
German Doner Kebab Current | $636K – $1.1M | $30K | 6.0% | 9 |
| Tropical Smoothie Cafe | $276K – $771K | $35K | 6.0% | 1,650 |
| TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFÉ | $300K – $721K | $35K | 6.0% | 1,371 |
| FIREHOUSE SUBS RESTAURANTS (UNIT) | $405K – $1.6M | $20K | 6.0% | 1,249 |
| Zaxby's | $1.4M – $3.8M | $35K | 6.0% | 826 |
| Qdoba | $548K – $1.3M | $40K | 5.0% | 652 |
Fast Casual Average 107 franchises | $529K – $1.2M | $39K | 5.6% | – |
* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5. Showing top 5 of 107 Fast Casual franchises by location count.
Locations & Growth
Outlet Growth Over Time
Total outlets at end of each year
Geographic Distribution (2024)
Outlets by state across the United States
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Unlock location growth dataFranchisee Contacts
10 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.
10 Contacts Available
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Unlock contactsDue Diligence
Litigation (Item 3)
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
System Health (Item 20)
Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year
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Unlock due diligence reportsFrequently Asked Questions
The total initial investment to open a German Doner Kebab franchise ranges from $635,500 to $1,123,000. This includes a franchise fee of $30,000. Ongoing royalty fees are 6.0% of gross sales.