Kassel celebrates Döner for 40 years: the man who changed everything!

Kassel celebrates Döner for 40 years: the man who changed everything!

Kassel, a city in the heart of Germany, has a moving gastronomic story, especially when it comes to the popular kebab. 40 years ago, this Turkish specialty was largely unknown here. But the restaurateur Can Kara had a vision and brought the kebab to Kassel, which not only changed the local snack culture, but also delighted the palate of many Kassel residents.

The 68-year-old Kara came to Germany from the southern Turkish city of Iskenderun in 1981. With empty bags and a large portion of determination, he not only began his new life, but also a culinary revolution in Kassel. He was the first to bring the kebab to the city, a sandwich made of flatbread, filled with marinated meat, fresh vegetables and a special sauce - an invention that originally emerged from the Great Turkish community in Berlin.

The beginnings: a new taste experience

When he arrived in Kassel, Kara quickly found that the city's gastronomy was mainly dominated with Greek gyros. This aroused him the desire to offer more diversity. "The doner kebab did not exist in Kassel," recalls Kara, and so he decided to realize his own snack idea. First he started at an Opel disk bus on the grounds of the petrol station on Heiligenröder Straße and after the initial success with bratwurst and Schaschlik also offered Doner Kebap.

The again the reinvent of the Döner in Kassel required a lot of persuasion. "People first had to understand what that is," said Kara. But the Kasseler, who gradually got on the taste, were thrilled and described the Turkish specialty as "fantastic, much better than gyros".

his efforts did not go unnoticed. The demand rose, and in 1988 he opened his second restaurant, "Kara’s Grill", in the city center on the lower Königsstrasse. This was a crucial moment in the history of the company because it represented the first kebab shop in this busy location. "We were open from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. and people came from far away," Kara recalls the best times when he ran up to five branches.

from expansion to the challenges of the present

The expansion story of Can Kara is impressive: his original restaurant on Heiligenröder Straße moved to larger premises in 2012, and today he runs three locations in Kassel, including a branch near the indoor pool and on Ysenburgstrasse. Despite the challenges that a growing competition and current problems with the staff have, the kebab is still a popular selection for many residents in the region. At the Heiligenröder Straße location, business has established itself as a social meeting point for working people and craftsmen who also enjoy other delicacies in addition to kebab.

However, the location on the star was recently closed because it was handed over to a neighboring restaurateur. "This is due to the general personnel situation and the strong competition," explains Kara. This reflects the current climate in the catering trade, where many companies are faced with similar challenges.

The fact that Can Kara is still a central figure after 40 years in business shows his passion for the industry. "Nothing has changed in the kebab for 40 years," he says with a smile and continues to inspire the diversity of his dishes those who are looking for both old and new taste.

Kassel without a kebab? Unimaginable! Thanks to Can Kara, the tasty, Turkish delicacies are now an integral part of eating culture in the city. As Kara himself says, the kebab has not only written his roots in Turkish gastronomy, but also his own story in Kassel, which is continued to this day.