Doner Shack, the Berlin-inspired street-food franchise concept, has unveiled its new brand repositioning to reflect the company’s transformation and future focus. The move is aimed to appeal to a younger demographic and position the brand to have more of a mainstream appeal.
As part of the transformation, Doner Shack has also created a new look menu and price point that will resonate with a wider audience whilst improving margins. The kebab brand has a new logo and redesigned stores using a primary colour palette of red, white and black, incorporating a polaroid wall to display memories of the team’s many trips to Berlin to affirm authenticity of the brand.
The first UK stores to adopt the new look will be Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, London and Leicester. Each location will also offer Doner Shack merchandise, from baseball hats to T-shirts and hoodies. The company adds that it also plans to collaborate with sports, gaming and local artist personalities to create brand specific merchandise.
‘We have nailed it’
Sanjeev Sanghera, co-founder and managing director of Doner Shack, said: “When we conceptualised our brand, we had one simple mission in mind – to become the number one kebab brand in the world.
“After five years of experimenting, researching and, most importantly, innovating, I think we have nailed it. Our fundamental principle has been, and always will be, to serve-up incredible tasting food; so with this brand repositioning, we aim to enhance and solidify our position within the QSR sector.
“Our customers are at the forefront of everything Doner Shack does and this strategy has already yielded great results – we increased our year-on-year sales by 37 per cent in our Manchester store in June and July and 11 per cent in Leeds. We have also decreased our cost of sales following some tough negotiations with suppliers, including a 25 per cent reduction in cost of our supply chain, so our customers don’t have to bear this cost themselves.”
Nathan Holloway, Doner Shack’s brand director, who led the new brand positioning having worked with its board of directors for over eight years, commented: “We’ve created a new visual identity for the brand. The new Doner Shack will be instantly recognizable and with the branding more simplistic, it will appeal to the Gen Z target market. Speed, efficiency and convenience are paramount to this audience, so we have made sure this is at the core of our brand revamp.”
Doner Shack said that Studio Jim, an interior design consultancy, assisted with redesigning the interior of the stores. Its founder, Jim Butterell, explained that the new design draws inspiration from streetwear stores, sporting realms, pop-up retail spaces and summer festivals, creating a vibrant and dynamic atmosphere that captures the energy and style of a younger generation.
“We have blended modern aesthetics, bold colours and interactive elements to create a visually stimulating and functional space. We’ve also incorporated cutting-edge technology like digital screens and self-ordering menus with the aim to forge a deeper connection with young customers and provide a quick and enjoyable dining experience,” said Butterell.
Sanghera added: “I’m thrilled to share Doner Shack’s rebrand and revised menu, where we have created a fun, approachable and refreshing environment for kebab and chicken lovers. With the introduction of a wider product set that offers morning, lunch and evening options, including new loaded fries, waffles and sliders from only £4, we are able to present our customers with value – both in the form of price point and the high-quality, made-to-order food.
“Exciting prospects lie ahead for Doner Shack as we strive to raise the game and create an atmosphere and space that matches the quality of our products. It’s safe to say we’re on the right track.”
Doner Shack has plans to open a further seven new sites over the next year and up to four delivery kitchens in each of its existing locations to further expand its customer reach.