Atul Pathak has sold his 43 McDonald’s locations and is opening up to 30 German Doner Kebabs in the UK. Provided.
The largest McDonald’s franchisee in the U.K., Atul Pathak, has sold his locations and is opening up to 30 German Doner Kebabs, a fast casual brand based in Scotland that serves traditional kebabs.
“After nearly 20 years with McDonald’s, I decided to sell my business and explore new opportunities that reflected the changes we are seeing amongst Gen Z and Millennial consumers,” Pathak said in a company press release. “It was a great journey to grow from one restaurant to 43 and be the largest franchisee of McDonald’s in the U.K., but I felt it was time for a new challenge and when the opportunity to partner with German Doner Kebab arose it was a perfect fit for our new ambitions.”
German Doner Kebab, founded in 1989, opened its 100th U.K. restaurant this year and will add 78 by year’s end. Total U.K. sales were also up 75% in 2021.
“It is an exciting time to be a part of the brand story and I look forward to playing a key role in strengthening German Doner Kebab’s position as the U.K.’s fastest-growing restaurant chain,” Pathak said.
The chain, which has locations in Sweden and the Middle East, is also expanding in the U.S, Canada, Saudi Arabia and across other locations in Europe.
“The arrival of Atul Pathak is a significant moment for German Doner Kebab as we build the fast-casual brand of the future,” German Doner Kebab CEO Imran Sayeed said in the release. “Atul’s experience in drive-thru will also be invaluable as we explore more and develop new formats and concepts for the brand.”
German Doner Kebab is owned by Hero Brands group, which also owns Island Poke and Choppaluna as well as a food technology operator, Virtual Hero. It recently partnered with the Sidemen, Europe’s largest YouTube collective to launch a cloud-kitchen-based mega food brand “Sides” and XIX Vodka.
