UK-based Berlin-inspired Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) franchise, Doner Shack, has made the defining decision to relocate its headquarters to Miami.
With the UK hospitality industry seeing setbacks since the pandemic, and with the current government’s commitment to increasing National Insurance and VAT for businesses, the Doner Shack team have decided relocate to “an environment where their business can thrive” said founders Sanj Sanghera and Laura Bruce.
Influencing their decision, Doner Shack highlighted the US government’s clear commitment to supporting the growth of businesses, like itself, as a key factor in its decision to become an American company.
“There’s a lot of confidence in the US – it’s the most established franchise market in the world, particularly for the QSR sector. We’re excited to operate in an environment that offers strong opportunities for growth and success, allowing our business to thrive, as opposed to dealing with constant setbacks we’ve seen in the UK since March 2020,” said Laura.
“I spoke to franchisees in the US with over 1,000 restaurants – far surpassing the scale of most major brands in the UK. The business environment here is incredibly dynamic, with highly motivated individuals, ample opportunities to secure prime locations, and vast areas available for development. It’s a much better environment for us as a business,” added Sanj.
“One of the main reasons we chose the US, and ultimately Miami, is the strength of its business environment. Miami provides a solid foundation for growth, with access to a broad customer base, an established franchising network, and excellent opportunities to scale our operations,” added Laura.
Following the UK governments recent 2025 budget announcement, rising costs are expected to put pressure on businesses, making it much harder for hospitality businesses to expand their network.
“In Europe, most hospitality businesses benefit from a VAT sales tax of 10% or less, while in the UK, we face a rate of 20%. Combined with rising costs during the inflationary period of 2023, this has made operations increasingly challenging. Additional pressures, such as higher employer national insurance contributions and the end of pandemic-level business rates relief, doesn’t build great confidence and has further compounded the strain. By contrast, the US offers a much more supportive environment for businesses, and we’re already feeling more optimistic about the opportunities here,” concluded Sanj.
