King of Donair

Last updated

King of Donair
TypeLocally owned subsidiary
Industry Fast food
Founded Halifax, Nova Scotia (1973;50 years ago (1973))
Headquarters Halifax, Nova Scotia
Products Pizza, garlic fingers, donairs, poutine, chicken wings, poppers, egg rolls
Website www.kingofdonair.ca

King of Donair (often abbreviated KOD) is a chain of restaurants that was established in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1973 by Greek immigrant Peter Gamoulakos, who popularized the donair in the city. [1] [2] The brand has a cult-like following, and has been featured by Trailer Park Boys, National Geographic , the Food Network, the Travel Channel and Vice Media. Celebrity chefs such as Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Zimmern, Dominique Crenn, and Matty Matheson chose King of Donair for filming, documenting and indulging. In 2015, the donair was named the official food of Halifax, [3] [4] with December 8 being National Donair Day.

Contents

In addition to the donair, KOD is also known for its pizza, garlic fingers and other donair offerings such as donair egg rolls, donair plates, and donair pizza.

History

Origins

King of Donair - Canada's Original since 1973 FullSizeRender copy 2.jpg
King of Donair - Canada's Original since 1973

The first King of Donair opened in 1973 on Quinpool Rd. in Halifax, Nova Scotia. [5] [6] It was founded by Greek immigrant and restaurateur Peter Gamoulakos, who owned a pizza shop called Velo's Pizza. While on trip to Greece, he ate a lot of gyros and was inspired to bring the dish to Canada. [1] After trying to sell them at his pizza shop, he realized that Nova Scotians of the 1970s didn't have a palate for lamb and the yogurt-based tzatziki. He substituted spicy beef for lamb and created a sweet sauce made with evaporated milk. This new dish was based on the Turkish doner. [2] The vertically roasted doner kebab was created by Mehmetoğlu İskender Efendi. He served the first plate of İskender kebap in 1867 in the Turkish city of Bursa. [7] It became popular in Halifax in the 1970s. [1] [2] After perfecting the recipe, King of Donair was opened in 1973. [1]

The original King of Donair is located in the same building on Quinpool Rd. [8] The chain has four other locations in Nova Scotia. [9]

Western Canada expansion

The 2010s saw an expansion into Western Canada, beginning with pop-up shops in Alberta to test for economic viability. A two-day event was planned for March 4 in Calgary and March 5 in Banff National Park's Sunshine Village. [10] The latter event was cancelled due to concerns about crowd size, while the Calgary event continued and raised money for the Alberta Children's Hospital. [11] [12]

In 2018, two restaurants were opened, in Edmonton and Grande Prairie, Alberta. [5] [6] 2019 saw further expansion with a third Alberta location in Sherwood Park and its first Saskatchewan location in the Erindale Shopping Centre within the University Heights Suburban Centre in Saskatoon. [5] [6]

Other cities announced in the Western Canada expansion were Vancouver, [9] [13] [14] Kelowna [9] [14] and Victoria in British Columbia, [14] Regina, Saskatchewan, [13] and Winnipeg, Manitoba. [3] [13] It was reported that KOD planned to have at least one location in British Columbia by the end of 2018 [9] with a total of ten that were expected to open that year. [13]

Disputes

In May 2012, the KOD location that was on the aptly named "Pizza Corner" in Halifax was closed [15] due to the disrepair of the rented building. Owner Sam Nahas notified landlord John Manolopoulos that the lease was not being renewed for this reason, and took Manolopoulos to small claims court to be reimbursed $25,000 on various repairs to the old building. The restaurant had been a staple of Pizza Corner since the early 1990s. [16]

In 2015, KOD alleged that the Vancouver restaurant Donair King was infringing on its trademarks such as name and logo. KOD filed documents with the Federal Court of Canada saying its name has been associated with donairs, donair meat and donair sauce since the 1970s. The claim asked the court to order them to destroy menus, signs, packaging, promotional material, and business cards with the Donair King name. It also asked for punitive and exemplary damages as well as the legal costs to be covered. Donair King denied the allegations in a statement of defence, and offered to stop using the Donair King name if King of Donair agreed to take no legal action. The statement of claim was filed Sept. 23 and Donair King filed its defence Oct. 26. [17]

Calgary was planned as one of the first cities to be included in KOD's Western Canada expansion in 2016. The company filed a statement of claim in April 2016 that stated donair establishments in Calgary such as King Donair and Shawrama, King Donair and King Shwarnae Donair, all registered under the numbered company 974819 Alberta Ltd., were active during this time and infringing on its trademark. Owner Norman Nahas cited that people would think KOD is already in Western Canada. 974819 Alberta Ltd. had yet to file a statement of defence during that time. King of Donair alleges that it previously wrote to King Donair, asking it to "cease and desist from its infringing and otherwise unlawful activities", to no effect, court documents state. [18] [ needs update ]

Pop culture

Awards and honours

Winner of The Coast's Best of Halifax Reader's Choice Award for Best Donair: 1998, 2001–2003, 2006–2010, and 2013–2016 (14 of 19 years). Hall of Fame (2018-2019) [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Hortons</span> Canadian multinational coffeehouse and restaurant chain

Tim Hortons Inc., commonly nicknamed Tim's, Timmie's or Hortons, is a Canadian multinational coffeehouse and restaurant chain. Based in Toronto, Tim Hortons serves coffee, donuts, sandwiches, and other fast-food items. It is Canada's largest quick-service restaurant chain, with 5,352 restaurants in 15 countries, as of June 30, 2022.

Sobeys Inc. is the second largest supermarket chain in Canada after Loblaw Companies Limited, with over 1,500 stores operating across Canada under a variety of banners. Headquartered in Stellarton, Nova Scotia, it operates stores in all ten provinces and accumulated sales of more than C$25.1 billion in the fiscal 2019 operating year. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Empire Company Limited, a Canadian business conglomerate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pizza Pizza</span> Canadian pizza restaurant chain

Pizza Pizza Ltd. is a franchised Canadian pizza quick-service restaurant with its headquarters in Toronto, Ontario. Its restaurants are mainly in the province of Ontario while others are located in Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and western Canada. Franchises in western Canada are mostly run through Alberta-based subsidiary Pizza 73. It has over 500 locations, including over 150 non-traditional locations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stampede Corral</span> Multi-purpose venue in Calgary, Alberta

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Public holidays in Canada</span> List of government-legislated holidays

Public holidays in Canada, known as statutory holidays, stat holidays, or simply stats, consist of a variety of cultural, nationalistic, and religious holidays that are legislated in Canada at the federal or provincial and territorial levels. While many of these holidays are honoured and acknowledged nationwide, provincial and territorial legislation varies in regard to which are officially recognized.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doner kebab</span> Meat dish

Doner kebab, also spelled as döner kebab, is a dish of Turkish origin made of meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie. Seasoned meat stacked in the shape of an inverted cone is turned slowly on the rotisserie, next to a vertical cooking element. The operator uses a knife to slice thin shavings from the outer layer of the meat as it cooks. The vertical rotisserie was invented in the 19th-century Ottoman Empire, and dishes such as the Arab shawarma, Greek gyros, Canadian donair, and Mexican al pastor are derived from this.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Canada

Canadian cuisine consists of the cooking traditions and practices of Canada, with regional variances around the country. First Nations and Inuit have practiced their culinary traditions in what is now Canada since time immemorial. The advent of European explorers and settlers, first on the east coast and then throughout the wider territories of New France, British North America and Canada, saw the melding of foreign recipes, cooking techniques, and ingredients with indigenous flora and fauna. Modern Canadian cuisine has maintained this dedication to local ingredients and terroir, as exemplified in the naming of specific ingredients based on their locale, such as Malpeque oysters or Alberta beef. Accordingly, Canadian cuisine privileges the quality of ingredients and regionality, and may be broadly defined as a national tradition of "creole" culinary practices, based on the complex multicultural and geographically diverse nature of both historical and contemporary Canadian society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North End, Halifax</span> Subdivision in Nova Scotia, Canada

The North End of Halifax is a neighbourhood of Halifax, Nova Scotia occupying the northern part of Halifax Peninsula immediately north of Downtown Halifax.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tsuutʼina Nation</span> First Nation in Alberta, Canada

The Tsuutʼina Nation is a First Nation band government in Alberta, Canada. Their territory today is confined to the Tsuu T'ina Nation 145 reserve, whose east side is adjacent to the southwest city limits of Calgary. Their traditional territory spans a much larger area in southern Alberta. The land area of the current reserve is 283.14 km2, and it had a population of 1,982 in the 2001 Canadian census. The northeast portion of the reserve was used as part of CFB Calgary, a Canadian Army base, from 1910 to 1998. In 2006, the land was returned to the Nation by the Government of Canada. The Tsuutʼina people were formerly called the Sarsi or Sarcee, words which are believed to have been derived from a Blackfoot word meaning "stubborn ones". The two peoples long had conflict over the territory because the Sarcee are on traditional Blackfoot land. Because of its origins from an enemy, the term is now viewed as offensive by most of the Tsuutʼina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Empire Theatres</span> Defunct Canadian movie theater chain

Empire Theatres Limited was a movie theater chain in Canada, a subsidiary of Empire Company Ltd., the holding company of the Sobey family conglomerate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art Gallery of Nova Scotia</span> Art museum in Nova Scotia, Canada

The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (AGNS) is a public provincial art museum based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The art museum's primary building complex is located in downtown Halifax and takes up approximately 6,200 square metres (67,000 sq ft) of space. The museum complex comprises the former Dominion building and two floors of the adjacent Provincial building.

Bâton Rouge Steakhouse & Bar is a Canadian restaurant chain serving baby back ribs, Sterling Silver steaks, and grilled catch of the day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Touchdown Atlantic</span> Neutral site Canadian Football League games in the Maritime Provinces

Touchdown Atlantic is a series of neutral site Canadian Football League games played in the Maritime provinces of Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Bow (skyscraper)</span> 1,700,000 sq ft office building in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada

The Bow is a 158,000-square-metre (1,700,000 sq ft) skyscraper in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The 236 metre (774 ft) building is currently the second tallest office tower in Calgary, since construction of Cenovus' Brookfield Place; and the third tallest in Canada outside Toronto. The Bow is also considered the start of redevelopment in Calgary's Downtown East Village. It was completed in 2012 and was ranked among the top 10 architectural projects in the world of that year according to Azure magazine. It was built for oil and gas company Encana, and was the headquarters of its successors Ovintiv and Cenovus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burger Baron</span> Canadian fast-food restaurant name

The Burger Baron name is used by several fast-food restaurants in western Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Target Canada</span> Defunct Canadian discount department store chain

Target Canada Co. was the Canadian subsidiary of the Target Corporation, the eighth-largest retailer in the United States. Formerly headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, the subsidiary was formed with the acquisition of Zellers store leases from the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) in January 2011. Target Canada opened its first store in March 2013, and was operating 133 locations by January 2015. Its main competition included Walmart Canada, Loblaws, Shoppers Drug Mart, and Canadian Tire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pizza Corner (Halifax)</span> Intersection in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Pizza Corner is an intersection in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, at the junction of Blowers Street and Grafton Street. It is a local landmark originally consisting of three pizzerias: King of Donair, Sicilian Pizza and the European Food Shop. Completing the four corners is The Presbyterian Church of Saint David, a provincially recognized heritage building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pizza in Canada</span> Pizza variants from Canada

Canada has many of its own pizza chains, both national and regional, and many distinctive regional variations and types of pizza resulting from influences of local Canadian cuisine.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "History of the Donair: The Halifax Origination Story (circa 1973)". EatThisTown.ca. February 26, 2019. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 Dempsey, Amy (December 6, 2015). "Saga of Halifax's first donair resembles Greek wrapsody". The Star. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  3. 1 2 Dobbins, John (June 25, 2018). "King of Donair Opening in Winnipeg". Access Winnipeg. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  4. ↑ CBC News (December 8, 2015). "Halifax declares donairs the official food of the city". CBC News . Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 "Our Story". King of Donair. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 "Locations". King of Donair. Archived from the original on August 24, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  7. ↑ Brosnahan, Tom. "İskender/Bursa Döner Kebap". Turkey Travel Planner. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  8. ↑ MacDonald, Michael (October 23, 2015). "Donairs could be designated the official food of Halifax". The Globe and Mail . The Canadian Press . Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Daily Hive Staff (June 1, 2018). "Halifax's iconic King of Donair expanding to Western Canada" . Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  10. ↑ CBC News (February 26, 2016). "King of Donair in Halifax exploring western expansion with Alberta trip". CBC News . Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Calgarians get royal taste test of Halifax's King of Donair". CBC News . March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  12. ↑ Anderson, Drew (March 5, 2016). "King of Donair event at Sunshine Village cancelled, but Calgary store likely". CBC News . Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Grant, Taryn (May 31, 2018). "The King of Donair expanding its empire to Western Canada". Toronto Star. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  14. 1 2 3 "King of Donair looking to open 3 locations in BC, owner says". Daily Hive. June 1, 2018. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  15. ↑ Knox, Carsten (January 12, 2012). "King of Donair exiting Pizza Corner". TheCoast.ca. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  16. ↑ CBC News (January 19, 2012). "King of Donair to leave Halifax's pizza corner". CBC News . Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  17. ↑ McMillan, Elizabeth (October 31, 2015). "Halifax's King of Donair disputes Donair King's name and logo". CBC News . Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  18. ↑ Ward, Rachel (July 5, 2016). "King of Donair sues Alberta shops ahead of Calgary expansion". CBC News . Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  19. ↑ "Quake Matthews - Down With The King (Official Music Video)". YouTube . Quake Matthews. December 8, 2015. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  20. ↑ Young, Adria (December 8, 2015). "Get Lost In the Donair Sauce with Quake Matthews' New Video for "Down With The King"". Vice . Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  21. ↑ "Best Donair". The Coast. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.