Spanian's Kebabs Opens in Newtown as Tenth Store Looms
Spanian's Kebabs has opened its ninth location in Newtown, marking the brand's first major inner-city site and continuing a rapid expansion that began with food trucks in early 2024. The King Street store represents a shift from suburban and regional markets into one of Sydney's most culturally visible precincts. A tenth location in Cogra has already been announced.
The opening comes roughly a year after the brand launched as a mobile operation, built on grilled meats, fresh wraps, and snack packs marketed around bold flavours and accessible pricing. What started as a handful of food trucks across Western Sydney has become a franchise model spanning New South Wales and Victoria, with locations in North Parramatta, Penrith, Lansvale, Warrawong, Wyong, and Preston among others.
A Strategic Shift Into Inner-City Sydney
Newtown represents a departure. Unlike the suburban sites that preceded it, the area is known for high foot traffic, student culture, and progressive community values. The choice of location carries weight, given the founder’s past public controversies. Opening on King Street, in a neighbourhood with a distinct cultural identity, is a move that invites scrutiny as much as it does business.
The expansion reflects how quickly the brand has scaled. Franchisees are estimated to invest between $250,000 and $350,000 to open a store, with support offered in training, site selection, and marketing. This structure has allowed Spanian's Kebabs to grow faster than most independent food operators, tapping into both the founder’s online following and demand for accessible late-night food in high-traffic areas.
Public response has been mixed. Some stores have seen strong turnout and long queues, particularly at newer openings such as Preston in Melbourne. Others have faced criticism over inconsistent quality and service issues. A fire at one of the brand’s Melbourne trucks earlier in the expansion phase, investigated by police as suspicious, highlighted the operational vulnerabilities that can emerge during rapid growth.
Public response has been mixed. Some stores have seen strong turnout and long queues, particularly at newer openings such as Preston in Melbourne. Others have faced criticism over inconsistent quality and service issues. A fire at one of the brand’s Melbourne trucks earlier in the expansion phase, investigated by police as suspicious, highlighted the operational vulnerabilities that can emerge during rapid growth.
Cultural Impact and Brand Identity
What remains notable is the cultural footprint. The brand built momentum through social media and direct engagement with working-class audiences. That persona now underpins a commercial operation moving into high-visibility markets. The Newtown store tests whether the model can translate online attention into sustained local presence in areas that don’t naturally align with its original suburban base.
The announcement of the Cogra location suggests the pace isn’t slowing. Whether the brand holds up under scrutiny—logistical, cultural, or reputational—will depend on how effectively it adapts beyond its initial stronghold and navigates the contradictions between its past and the communities it is now entering.
Spanian's Kebabs is no longer just a food truck with a following. It has become a case study in how personality-driven brands scale, and what happens when commercial ambition meets cultural context.
