Could Döner Be the Next Big Thing in Fast-Food?

Walk through almost any major city in Germany and you'll find döner shops on virtually every block.

The sandwich is made with meat sliced from a vertical rotisserie, and served with fresh vegetables, sauces, and Turkish-style pide bread. It’s as common in Germany as burgers are in the United States. In fact, Germans eat an estimated 1.3 billion döner each year, according to figures reported by Euronews. The category generates billions in annual sales and has become one of Europe's most popular fast-food options.

Yet in the United States, most people have never heard of it. That disconnect has caught the attention of a growing number of restaurant entrepreneurs who believe German-style döner could be one of the few major food categories still waiting to happen in America.

American consumers have embraced many foods that were once considered unfamiliar. Sushi was largely unknown outside major cities a generation ago. Ramen, poke, and bubble tea followed. Today they're part of the mainstream dining landscape. Döner may be following a similar path.

The product doesn't require much explanation. Customers see bread, meat, vegetables, and sauce. They immediately understand what they're looking at. It feels approachable while offering something different from the burgers, chicken sandwiches, tacos, and Mediterranean bowls that already crowd the market.

It's also a category with considerable room to grow. While Europe supports an estimated $8 billion-plus kebab market, the U.S. has no dominant national brand and relatively few operators focused specifically on German-style döner. Most restaurant concepts enter categories that already have established leaders. Döner doesn't.

Döner Haus is looking to take the lead in the market. The brand, founded in 2023, has focused exclusively on German-style döner rather than trying to compete broadly within the Mediterranean segment. Its East Village, NY, location generated approximately $1.7 million in gross sales in 2025 from less than 800 square feet. The reality is Americans have barely discovered a category that serves billions of customers overseas.

“The model works because the menu is focused,” says Chief Operating Officer Pamela Navarro. “Two people on a shift can handle a full rush because they're not managing a large kitchen with dozens of menu items.”

The company has begun franchising, opening locations in Bayside and Sunnyside, Queens, with additional units planned in New York and California.

According to Franchise Director Eddie Fahmy, many prospective franchisees already understand the concept before they ever visit a location.

“A lot of them discovered döner while traveling in Berlin or London,” he says. “Their first question is usually why nobody has built this category in the United States.”

Americans didn't invent pizza, tacos, sushi, or ramen. Each arrived from somewhere else before becoming part of the mainstream dining landscape. Döner could just be the next discovery.

For operators looking at emerging restaurant categories, the opportunity is difficult to ignore: a proven concept, a massive global following, and a U.S. market that remains largely untapped.

To learn more about Döner Haus franchise opportunities, visit doner.haus/franchising.

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Döner Haus
Döner Haus is a tech-forward QSR bringing Europe’s favorite street food to the U.S. We serve bold, craveable German-style Döner with premium halal ingredients—all in a compact, efficient model built for scale. Learn More