German Doner Kebab has said it is opening another 12 restaurants this year and creating 480 jobs by the end of 2020 as it pushes on with rapid growth plans despite turmoil in the UK’s dining sector.

The chain, which has 47 fast-casual restaurants across the country, has seen sales rise since fully reopening sites as it was boosted by new openings and the Government’s Eat Out To Help Out scheme.

It said UK same-store sales jumped by 46% in August against the same month last year.

The expansion will see it open new sites Liverpool, Nottingham, Bradford, Plymouth, London and Edinburgh.

The chain was founded in Germany in 1989 but was launched in the UK in 2016 by United Brands under a franchise model.

The UK-based business has also outlined plans to open more international sites, with openings planned for Canada, Sweden and Saudi Arabia.

Imran Sayeed, chief executive officer of the business, said: “Our game-changing kebabs are revolutionising the kebab and we are excited to be announcing these latest growth plans.

“We have found ourselves in very challenging times however there continues to be a huge demand for the German Doner Kebab experience throughout the UK and our international growth regions.

“We are excited to build further momentum in our plans for growth and to be creating hundreds of new jobs throughout the country as we maintain our mission of building the fast-casual brand of the future.”

German Doner Kebab, which employs around 1,500 people, said its sites were open for delivery and click & collect services during the initial lockdown, before reopening its dining areas ahead at the start of August.

“We have been incredibly agile and responsive to a fast-changing landscape during the pandemic,” Mr Sayeed added.

“Our recent performance is testament to our wider strategy of product innovation, the ingenuity and speed of our operational team and the support we have had from our partners.”