German Doner Kebab franchise
2026 filing · August 19, 2026Growing
German Doner Kebab at a glance
A fast-casual restaurant serving German-style doner kebabs, wraps and boxes. At the end of 2025 there were 6 German Doner Kebab locations in the US, 3 franchised and 3 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- GDK USA, INC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Current franchisor selling since
- 2018
- 8 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Dallas, Texas
- Typical size
- 800–2,000 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $366K–$638K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $40,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of gross sales, paid weekly
- Brand fund
- Yes
- Up to 3% of gross sales, paid weekly
- Renewal fee
- $15,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 6
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 3
- Company-owned
- 3
- Change in 3 years
- +2
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 3
- Most in New York, New Jersey and Texas
From GDK USA, INC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
German Doner Kebab among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | German Doner Kebab | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $502,000 | Costs more than 64% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $40,000 | Lower than 46% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 6 | Fewer than 69% of franchises |
How much a German Doner Kebab franchise costs
Opening one German Doner Kebab costs an estimated $366,000 to $638,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are construction and leasehold improvements ($150,000 to $250,000) and furniture, fixtures and equipment ($30,000 to $80,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $40,000 | ||
| Construction and Leasehold Improvements | $150,000 | $250,000 | |
| Lease Deposits and Rent – Three Months | $20,000 | $50,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | $30,000 | $80,000 | |
| Signage | $15,000 | $30,000 | |
| Computer, Software, and Point of Sale System | $20,000 | $30,000 | |
| Pre-Launch Grand Opening Advertising Fee | $10,000 | $15,000 | |
| Initial Inventory | $15,000 | $20,000 | |
| Utility Deposits | $1,000 | $5,000 | |
| Insurance Deposits – Three Months | $9,000 | $18,000 | |
| Travel for Initial Training | $5,000 | $10,000 | |
| Professional Fees | $10,000 | $15,000 | |
| Architect and Project Manager Fees | $25,000 | $50,000 | |
| General Licenses and Permits | $1,000 | $5,000 | |
| Additional Funds – Three Months | $15,000 | $20,000 | |
| Total | $366,000 | $638,000 | |
Source: GDK USA, INC, 2026 filing, page 18
German Doner Kebab franchise fee
The franchise fee is $40,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: GDK USA, INC, 2026 filing, page 13
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross sales, paid weekly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | Up to 3% of gross sales, paid weekly. |
| Technology | Up to $500 per month |
| Renewal | $15,000 |
| Franchisee Directed Local Marketing | 2% of Gross Sales |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: GDK USA, INC, 2026 filing, page 14
Other fees as filed, from pages 14–16. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures German Doner Kebab does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: GDK USA, INC, 2026 filing, page 51
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $660K–$1.2M
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2025 / 2023–2025. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | German Doner Kebab | Typical fast food brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | −70% / +200% | 0% / +5.6% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 30% / 300% | 3.7% / 17% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 40% / 400% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical fast food brand is the median of the 124 brands in fast food franchises with three years of counts.
How German Doner Kebab compares
Of the 309 fast food franchises on this site, German Doner Kebab is the 163rd cheapest to open and the 207th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | German Doner Kebab | Typical fast food brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $366K | $353K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $638K | $786K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $40K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| US locations | 6 | 23 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 189 of 309 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 309 brands in fast food franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 (0) | 0 | – | – |
| 2023 | 8 (+7) | 0 | +7 | 0 |
| 2024 | 10 (+2) | 0 | +2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 3 (−7) | 3 | 0 | −7 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: fast food franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Over 4 years, from the start of 2022 to the end of 2025, franchised locations went from 1 to 3 (+2, +200%). The earlier years come from the brand's 2025 filing.
Source: GDK USA, INC, 2026 filing, page 52
2022: GDK USA, INC, 2025 filing, page 48
Where German Doner Kebab locations are
At the end of 2025, German Doner Kebab had locations in 3 states. The most are in New York, New Jersey and Texas.
- New York4
- New Jersey1
- Texas1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| New Jersey | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Texas | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Source: GDK USA, INC, 2026 filing, page 53
Who owns German Doner Kebab?
German Doner Kebab franchises are sold by GDK USA, INC. It is a subsidiary of GDK International, Ltd.
From GDK USA, INC’s 2026 filing, page 9.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: GDK USA, INC, 2026 filing, litigation on page 12, bankruptcy on page 12
German Doner Kebab filings
A franchisor files a new disclosure each year it sells franchises. The figures on this page come from GDK USA, INC’s 2026 filing, issued August 19, 2026; the earlier ones below are on record with the Minnesota Department of Commerce and fill in older location counts.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | August 19, 2026 | Minnesota | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
| 2025 filing | – | Minnesota | Locations, 2022 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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