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Famed British döner kebab shop Am Döner kebab shop, with a cult-like following that includes pop star Taylor Swift, is making its way across the pond to Queen St W (with two more locations already confirmed!)
On Oct. 17, British-famed doner shop, I Am Döner, will make its Canadian debut with its flagship location at the corner of Queen West and Spadina — this will be the award-winning restaurant’s first location in North America. The traditional British döner kebab is the same as a Canadian donair kebab, which typically uses lamb, beef, veal, or chicken, but with slightly different seasoning.
“Döner kebab is a classic late-night indulgence,” says I Am Döner founder, Chef Paul Baron said in a statement. “But a really excellent döner — warm flatbread, fragrant meats, creamy garlic sauce dripping everywhere — is so much more than something to scarf down before heading home to bed. And we’re super pumped to bring our famed shop to Canada, a first for North America!”
In 2016, after Chef Baron noticed that the döner was gaining popularity in the UK (particularly among the late-night Britpop era crowd), he took his Michelin-star-kitchen-training and opened the first I Am Döner shop in Headingley, UK. Its popularity grew throughout the years (crowds even started getting their döner kebabs before heading out for the night), and there are now nine locations spread out across the UK and Dubai — Toronto will be the shop’s 10th opening.
I Am Döner has nine award-winning kebabs and bowls and more than 53 fresh ingredients. The Canadian restaurants will offer a fully halal menu. From lunch break to after hours, diners can dig into freshly made flatbreads and hot-off-the-grill kebab (vegetarian protein options will also be available), grain and salad bowls (including fluffy rice or greens), street cart fries and poutine (no explanation needed!), globally-inspired sauces like sweet maple chilli, Memphis BBQ, mango habanero, and vindaloo, soft serve ice cream (new flavours will drop every season, like strawberries and cream for Wimbledon and apple crumble for winter), as well as fresh beverages, including milkshakes (with flavours like jam and cream, KitKat, and crème brulée), and original lemonade, with unique flavours like earl grey, berry, and watermelon.
Franchise owners Faisal Husnain and Syed Danish will also fill their shops with British-inspired interior design and British and Irish playlists, including the Ramones, the Verve, Blur, and other nostalgic favs. And best of all — the overall vibe will be family-friendly.
“We are opening a family-first restaurant. If the kids are happy, the adults are happy: we’ve got power sockets for iPads, colouring books, a top-notch kids menu, and every meal comes with free seasonal soft-serve ice cream,” Husnain said.
In addition to Queen West, two additional I Am Döner locations are confirmed: Yonge/ Sheppard (to open in Nov. 2024) and Pickering (to open in Jan. 2025).
Make sure to also visit these 76 other top food spots in the city.
