Could German Doner Kebab be coming to Bradford?

German Doner Kebab could in the future be open to snapping up sites formerly belonging to Jamie's Italian, such as this one in Leeds.

The move is in stark contrast to the current gloom facing the UK dining scene with Jamie’s Italian collapsing into administration last week.

Restaurant chains across the country have been facing rising costs and a decline in consumer confidence.

New openings

But bosses at German Doner Kebab say the firm’s biggest problem is finding new restaurants sites fast enough to match its ambitions.

The kebab chain will invest £6m to open 14 new sites throughout the year in locations including Preston, Oldham, Bradford, Northampton, Walsall, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

The chain, which already has 33 sites across the UK, said it will open a new restaurant every week for the rest of 2019 in a move which will create around 200 jobs.

Right locations

Imran Sayeed, chief executive of German Doner Kebab, said: “The hardest thing for us is finding sites. I think we could open another 40 or 50 sites this year because of demand, but we have to take the time to make sure the locations are right.

“By the end of this year we will hopefully be near to 50 in the UK, and I think we could be looking at 300 in the next five years.

“I think our success highlights the shift to fast-casual dining. Millenials and Generation Z want something different, and our product offering and price point fits in with what they want.”

Italian sites

The boss said he was sad to see the collapse of Jamie’s Italian but admitted that the firm could be “open” to looking towards the company’s closed sites as potential locations further down the line.

German Doner Kebab was founded in Germany in 1989 but was launched in the UK in 2016 by United Brands under a franchise model.