Döner shops create monthly $630 million business volume

Some 30,000 shops sell around a total of 900,000 kilograms of traditional döner kebab each day across Turkey, making a great contribution to the local economy, according to the head of a trading group.

"Döner makers are also the main players in the local meat market as they create strong demand," Muhammet Nezif Emek, the head of Döner Shop Owners' Association, told Anadolu Agency.

"There is a döner shop in nearly every neighborhood in the country and it is one of the most favored foods," he noted, adding that it is also becoming popular abroad.

Data from the Turkish online food ordering company yemeksepeti.com showed that döner was the second most favored food in 2019 with a total of 15 million orders.

The döner industry generates tens of thousands of people through a chain that connects production to consumption, Emek noted.

According to Emek, the size of the monthly volume of döner business is around 4 billion Turkish Liras (around $630 million).

A number of investors are showing interest in the sector, which can now easily compete with international foods, such as burger and pizza, and international fast-food chains, he said.

Emek noted that the regulations introduced in 2008 as part of the European Union harmonization process forbid handling meat when preparing döner. "That triggered significant investment in industrial döner production.

"Industrial döner production increased sharply, whose share in total output climbed to 40 percent from a meager 5 percent," Emek said.

There are new entrants to the sector by the day, because of the industry's size, the business volume it creates and strong consumer demand for döner, he noted.