German Doner KebabFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A German Doner Kebab franchise requires a total initial investment of $636K – $1.1M, including a $30K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: D. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $636K – $1.1M
- 88th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 59th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 44th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 9
- 33rd pct Service Resta…
- SBA default
- 0.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Quick-Service Restaurants avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Franchised units fell from 9 to 1 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
The franchisor's auditor raised doubt about continued operations. This is a serious risk signal.
Bottom line
- Total investment $636K – $1.1M including a $30K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict D (Below Average) with a risk score of 75/100.
- Auditor disclosed a going-concern note, which flagged doubt about the franchisor's ability to continue operations. Verify against the latest FDD.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- GDK USA, INC.
- Parent company
- GDK International, Ltd.
- Ultimate parent
- Hero Brands Ltd.
- Predecessor
- Doner Kebab DMCC
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Simon Wallis
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 11015 Beauty Lane, Dallas, Texas 75229
- Auditor
- GBQ Partners LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.0M
- vs $870K prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2025
- Auditor flagged doubt about continued operations. Verify against the latest FDD before deciding.
Affiliated brands
- United Brands Ltd
- UB
- Hero Brands Ltd
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
Franchisees operate fast-casual German Doner Kebab restaurants, preparing and serving grilled meat, vegetables, and sauces in wraps or bowls. Day-to-day operations include food prep, counter service, inventory management, and staffing of a small-format QSR location.
- CEO
- Simon Wallis
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 2017
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 3
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing · 20 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $30K | $30K | |
| Lease, Utility & Security Depositsnot refundable | $25K | $30K | |
| Leasehold Improvementsnot refundable | $0 | $250K | |
| Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbingnot refundable | $125K | $175K | |
| Signagenot refundable | $20K | $35K | |
| Restaurant Equipmentnot refundable | $140K | $175K | |
| Fit Out Materials & Installationnot refundable | $150K | $205K | |
| Hardware and Softwarenot refundable | $28K | $30K | |
| Furniture & Fixturesnot refundable | $16K | $20K | |
| Office Supplies & Misc.not refundable | $2K | $5K | |
| Business Licensesnot refundable | $1K | $5K | |
| Professional Feesnot refundable | $10K | $15K | |
| Insurancenot refundable | $9K | $18K | |
| Initial Trainingnot refundable | $5K | $10K | |
| Opening Inventorynot refundable | $15K | $20K | |
| Pre-Launch, Soft Launch and Grand Opening Marketingnot refundable | $10K | $15K | |
| Property Agentnot refundable | — | — | |
| Architects and Project Manager Feesnot refundable | $25K | $50K | |
| Additional Funds (Approx. 3 months)not refundable | $15K | $20K | |
| Small Waresnot refundable | $11K | $15K | |
| Total initial investment | $636K | $1.1M |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $636K – $1.1M
- Below avg, review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $20K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $30K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- percentage_of_gross · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 3.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $180 |
| Training fee | $5K |
| Transfer fee | $5 |
| Renewal fee | $15K |
| Inventory (initial) | $15K – $20K |
| Total fee load | 9.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Quick-Service Restaurants averages
How German Doner Kebab Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 9
- Opened
- 2
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 50.0%
- Net growth (yr3)
- +28.6%
- Net unit change last year
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Projected new
- 2
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 7 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 4 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 4
- Loan volume
- $2.6M
- Median loan
- $646K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 3
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Early-stage concept with unproven unit economics, minimal financial transparency, and insufficient operating history to validate franchise viability.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed
Largest disclosed settlement: $150,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · GBQ Partners LLC⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 75 / 100 rating
- 01MEDNo Item 19 (Average Unit Volumes) disclosed — impossible to assess profitability or ROI credibility
- 02MINORVery small system (9 units) limits data reliability and creates survivorship bias in unit growth claims
- 03MINORWide investment range ($635.5K–$1.123M) suggests high variability in startup costs with unclear cost drivers
- 04MINORRapid unit growth (28.6% YoY) in micro-system may reflect cherry-picked locations or unsustainable expansion
- 05MINOR6% royalty on gross revenue (not net) means profitability pressure regardless of actual earnings
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Demographics and population size specific to your location |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1 year |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 50 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Delaware |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Delaware |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 40 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 120 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- Site selection
- franchisor
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- 3SPOS
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: 3SPOS
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
8 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
German Doner Kebab · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a German Doner Kebab franchise?
The total investment to open a German Doner Kebab franchise ranges from $636K – $1.1M, with an initial franchise fee of $30K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do German Doner Kebab franchise owners earn?
German Doner Kebab does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is German Doner Kebab's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for German Doner Kebab (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many German Doner Kebab franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, German Doner Kebab has 9 total units in the United States, including 9 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 2 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is German Doner Kebab a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates German Doner Kebab as a D-grade franchise with a risk score of 75 out of 100, based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.