Latest news with #Embargo
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Doner Haus: A Kebab Specialist Opens Its Third NYC Location—More To Come
At the opening of Doner Haus in the East Village, crowds form, and now there are 3 of them in NYC. According to founder and CEO Nikolaus von Solodkoff, Doner Haus, his NY City eatery with 3 locations in the East Village on East 14th Street, Astoria and recently opened Bayside, Queens, means Kebab House in German. That's where Solodkoff grew up in a small town of 40 people 'with more cows than people,' he says. Doners are usually served on a plate with rice, fries and salad. In the U.S., he says, doners are often confused with shawarma, gyros, or placed into a wrap with a few toppings. But German and Turkish-style doner begins with marinated meats cooked on a vertical rotisserie and then sliced in thinly-cut ribbons, and placed into hot crispy Turkish pide or flatbread. Solodkoff says this doner version didn't exist in NYC or the U.S. and he saw a clear path to preparing it the way it is done overseas. He says back in his homeland people joke that 'Doner was invented in Turkey but perfected in Germany.' But he came to New York City to work in finance at J.P. Morgan Chase in 2010 at age 25 and lived there for 15 years, and helped launch Embargo, an overseas hospitality restaurant tech firm that garnered over 3,000 clients, where he was COO. Its focus was on loyalty tools, point of sales (POS) integration and data that drove repeat business. Running Two Businesses At Once He's still one of its largest shareholders, but not actively involved. However, he also runs Patron Security, a hedge fund out of Miami, and usually devotes 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to it and then turns his attention to running Doner Haus. Despite Solodkoff's learning a considerable amount about the intricacies about what makes a successful restaurant, he recognized that 'not working inside a restaurant, you miss how chaotic and unforgiving it really is. Things fall apart quickly,' and technology can't solve everything. Why NYC Works For Launching His Restaurant When Covid struck, he moved to Miami, but when he wanted to launch Doner House, he decided that NYC was the perfect place for his eateries because the city 'runs on speed, flavor and value. Doner hits all three.' He maintains an apartment in NYC, making it easier to visit. But No One Said NYC Would Be Easy But savvy to the city's logistics, he notes that 'New York is one of the hardest places in the country to run a restaurant' because permits can take months to be issued, rent and labor costs are high. But he figured 'If the concept can work here, it can work anywhere,' sounding like the lyrics from the Kander and Ebb song 'New York, New York.' When he opened his first outlet in the East Village in 2023, he capitalized it on his own, with, 'No investors. No loans. No SBA support,' so he'd have full control. But his goal from the outset was to build Doner House into a successful franchise operation. Running Lean In developing Doner Haus, he stripped everything away 'that did not serve the core mission.' Hence it offers either no or very limited seating, no servers, no host stand, a small footprint and streamlined menu, operated by a small team. 'The result is a system that runs lean, trains fast and holds up at volume,' he declares. And yet all the meat served is 100% halal, 100% filler-free, 100% gluten-free and 100% organic. The East Village space is 1,000 square feet, including 200 square feet of basement storage space. The Astoria and Bayside both have 2 small outside tables and that's it for seating. After a year, the East Village location generated a $1 million in revenue, proving his concept, and launching him toward franchising. After Doner Haus was sued because of logo infringement, it drew attention to it. Von Solodkoff garnered almost 1,000 franchise inquiries due to the publicity, though he says only about 1 in 100 turns out to be legitimate. It did lead to its first franchise that recently opened in Bayside, Queens. And the third company-owned Doner Haus is due in mid-to-late July in Hell's Kitchen on 9th Avenue and 47th Street. Consumer reaction on Yelp to dining at its original East Village location was rather positive. Maria from NYC wrote that it was 'the best doner in town, very close to German doner and very good for the money.' Wei from Dumont, N.J. liked the original chicken sandwich, fries and special seasoning but thought it should have been layered more and said the service was quick. And Vanessa from NYC liked her doner combo and noted that were only two tables outside, and felt as if it would draw more of a crowd with more seating. 'The beef was the standout,' she said. But when this reporter stopped for chicken doner salad at the 14th Street outpost, he was struck by two things. At a time of shrinking portions, it was huge, and lasted for two meals. But there were only two staff members, with one preparing the food and one serving customers, but when another patron arrived followed by 4 construction workers, service slowed down. Asked about the slow down, Solodkoff says it hires two people to prepare food on weekends, but try their best to keep the line moving weekdays. Solodkoff expects that the growth in kebabs will mirror that of sushi in the U.S. When sushi first entered the U.S., some people were surprised about eating raw fish and now it's become quite popular. Now kebabs have swept through France and the U.K., and Solodkoff expects that the U.S is next. In the next few years, he expects Doner Haus to grow through franchising in places such as Florida, Texas, and Los Angeles, without any more corporate-owned locations. He expects there will be 25 Doner Haus's in the next few years. Asked the keys to its success, he replies, 1) Staying lean and efficient, 2) Training franchisees intensively including on-site training and joining them at their new site, 3) Staying ambitious; 'We'd like to dominate this growing field,' 4) Keeping our royalties of 3% in check.
Makkah Newspaper
12-06-2025
- Business
- Makkah Newspaper
Esports World Cup Foundation Announces 40 Clubs Selected for Its $20 Million Club Partner Program, Uniting over 300 Million Esports Fans Worldwide
The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) today announced the top 40 esports Clubs that have been accepted into the EWCF Club Partner Program, an industry-leading initiative designed to promote the sustainable growth of esports organizations. The $20 million program offers participating Clubs up to $1 million in funding to expand their brand and grow their global audience through innovative content and marketing campaigns leading up to and throughout the Esports World Cup Since 2023, the EWCF has supported esports Clubs with a carefully aligned funding model that contributes to the Club Partner Program members' financial stability and brand growth. To achieve this, the 2025 Program will focus on fueling global fan growth across all borders and games through impactful storytelling and creative campaigns. Leveraging EWCF support, the 40 Partner Clubs, reaching over 300 million fans, will drive global growth by creating compelling experiences and content that deepen their connection with fans Embargo until 17.03.25, 2pm CET worldwide, including behind-the-scenes production, player documentaries, and live fan experiences that excite their communities. The 2025 program offers modular funding for campaigns that engage fans, tell EWC-related stories, and enable Club-driven innovation. 'The EWCF Club Partner Program is a cornerstone of our mission to build a sustainable future for esports Clubs worldwide while creating opportunities for organizations from some of the world's fastest-growing markets' , said Faisal Bin Homran, Chief Product Officer at the Esports World Cup Foundation. "This year's 40 partnered Clubs represent a diverse and dynamic cross-section of global esports, spanning legacy organizations, rising stars and global powerhouses that collectively define the rich history and the rapidly evolving future of the industry. By investing in their growth, the program will enable Clubs to expand their audience and reach, strengthen their brands, and gain greater visibility through fan-first content, shaping the future of esports as a global sport and mainstream entertainment." With this year's focus on high-growth regions, the 2025 EWCF Club Partner Program represents a truly global roster, including six Clubs from China, alongside additions from rapidly expanding markets like Japan, India, and LATAM. The full lineup of Clubs, in alphabetic order: 100 Thieves, All Gamers, Bilibili Gaming, Cloud9, Edward Gaming, EVOS, FaZe Clan, Fnatic, FURIA, G2 Esports, Gaimin Gladiators, Gen.G, Gentle Mates, HEROIC, JD Gaming, Karmine Corp., Movistar KOI, LEVIATAN, LOUD, MOUZ, NAVI, NIP .eStar, ONIC, POWR, REJECT, S8UL, Sentinels, T1, Team BDS, Team Falcons, Team Liquid, Team RRQ, Team Secret, Team Spirit, Team Vitality, Twisted Minds, Weibo Gaming, Wolves Esports, ZETA DIVISION. The 2025 Club Program applications in China were supported by Tencent E-Sports, who have facilitated the process for 20 Clubs that have applied. Six Clubs were selected, including All Gamers, Bilibili Gaming, Edward Gaming, JD Gaming, Weibo Gaming, and Wolves Esports—China's most dominant teams, engaging over 125 million Chinese fans through gaming, entertainment, and lifestyle content. Additionally, eStar, as part of NIP , has also been added to the lineup, further serving the expansion of the Club Partner Program in China and activating Chinese fans. All Clubs were selected through a rigorous evaluation process that reviewed nearly 200 applications. This included assessing their competitive track record in the Club Championship in 2024, their potential across multiple games, social media presence, fan engagement, and their strategic plans for activating their global esports audience. Eight Clubs received direct invitations based on their EWC 2024 Club Championship ranking, while the remaining spots were allocated through an open application process. Nineteen Clubs joined for the first time, and 21 returned from the inaugural year. 'Esports is evolving faster than ever, and the EWCF Club Partner Program is driving that evolution by giving Clubs the tools to grow, engage fans, and compete at the highest level, " said Fabien "Neo" Devide, Chairman and co-founder of Team Vitality. "EWC 2024 was a defining moment for us—winning points in five games, two podium finishes, and securing a top-four finish at the Club Championship. The scale and energy of the event proved just how influential esports has become. We're proud to be part of the program again, fueled by the enthusiasm of French fans who continue to support and inspire us as we look to elevate our game, win as many tournaments as possible, and carry Team Vitality's colours high on the biggest stage in esports.' Embargo until 17.03.25, 2pm CET 'As one of the fastest growing esports organizations in North America, we are delighted to join the EWCF Club Partner Program, ' said Rob Moore, CEO of Sentinels. 'Continuing the momentum of our success in 2024, including a major win in VALORANT and significant growth across our social channels reaching millions of fans in North America and beyond, the addition of VALORANT to the Esports World Cup is the perfect time for us to become an official partner and deliver new and exciting content to an even wider audience.' "Since Day One, All Gamers has chased esports glory—pushing non-stop for over 20 years. With years of hard work from our teams, we've scored big wins in top games and trained legends in the scene, " said Le Kedeng, Chairman of All Gamers. "Competing at the 2024 EWC against the world's best, that fire burns bright. Now joining EWCF's Club Partner Program, here's our hope: When fans worldwide see Chinese esports through AG, they won't just recall epic comebacks, but our crew's unstoppable spirit—cutting through challenges like a blade. That combination of grit and grace—that's China's gift to the global esports race." Membership in the EWCF Club Partner Program is subject to annual renewal in line with the Program's requirements, reflecting the dynamic nature of the esports industry. A Club's participation in the program does not guarantee a spot at the Esports World Cup 2025. All Clubs are required to qualify through official qualification pathways to earn their spot in each game's EWC tournament. The Esports World Cup 2025 will once again unite gaming and esports communities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for a global competition that will crown the next Esports World Cup Champion. The tournament's unique cross-game format will reward participating Clubs and players competing for a life-changing prize pool across a mix of platforms and genres, bringing together esports' best teams, players and games under one banner in the largest-ever celebration of esports. To learn more about the EWC Club Partner Program, visit For more information about the Esports World Cup, visit and follow @EWC_EN on X. Follow the Esports World Cup Foundation on LinkedIn for the latest announcements about Esports World Cup 2025.
