Get ready New York, two German “Lords of Döner” are getting ready to bring a brand new concept to Union Square later this year.
Döner Haus is an exciting new döner restaurant concept planned for East 14th Street. For those of you who don’t know, döner is a type of kebab that is made of meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie. The modern sandwich variant that most people recognize today can trace its origins to Berlin in the 1970s when Turkish immigrants began setting up shop in West Berlin and began serving them to the local Germans.
The döner kebab sandwich is generally attributed to restaurateur Kadir Nurman, an Istanbul-born chef who began stuffing his kebabs in flatbreads at his West Berlin food stall, believing that the busy Berlin workers would appreciate a more portable kind of meal. Ever since, Nurman’s kebab shop quickly established the döner as Berlin’s quintessential street food, and even today there are more döner shops found in Berlin than there are in Istanbul.
It is exactly that spirit of German authenticity that owners Mario and Nikolaus are trying to bring to New York with Döner Haus. Mario spoke with What Now about his new restaurant and revealed that he and Nikolaus had been planning the concept for over three years, deftly experimenting with the meat until getting it absolutely perfect. According to Mario, the chief vision of Döner Haus is to focus on one thing only – döner – and to absolutely excel at it.
Like many of the döner carts that can be found scattered across Berlin, Döner Haus will not offer any seating, instead inviting guests to grab their meal from the counter and go on with their busy days. Sandwich options will include chicken, beef, and vegetarian alternatives, alongside a wide variety of specialty condiments as well as fries and soft drinks. The new restaurant is a lifelong passion project for both Mario and Nikolaus, and the two are extremely excited to bring their new concept to the good people of New York.
Döner Haus is currently slated to open up at 240 East 14th Street, the former home of Eddie Huang’s iconic Baohaus restaurant. Mario and Nikolaus are honored to inherit such a popular space and are thrilled to be bringing the real German döner experience to New York. For more information, you can visit Döner Haus’s website and sign up for their mailing list for regular updates on their progress.
