Dortmund Police and Security Overwhelmed at €1 Kebab Shop Opening

Hundreds of customers stormed a doner kebab shop in Dortmund, western Germany, on Sunday after the owner advertised a one-off introductory price of €1, according to The Guardian.

The special promotion triggered massive chaos as the crowd rushed to secure a portion of the popular fast food, which normally costs between €7.50 and €9. Private security guards hired for the event were quickly overwhelmed, forcing the owner to call the police as the situation spiraled out of hand.

Accounts of the crowd size varied significantly between the organizer and local law enforcement. The owner estimated that about 1,000 people were present for the grand opening, while police figures placed the crowd size at approximately 300 people.

Participants pelted police with bottles, stones, fireworks, an electric scooter, and a chair. Reinforcements totaling about 100 officers on the ground and a police helicopter were deployed to restore order.

Tim Frommeyer, the head of Dortmund’s police, condemned the violence in an official statement reported by The Guardian. Anyone who uses violence, in this case once again against police officers, is not an adventure-seeking youth or a troublemaker, but a criminal, he said.

Frommeyer added that some participants appeared intent on attacking police from the beginning, linking the behavior to recent patterns seen at demonstrations. Several individuals were arrested during the operation, with one person found carrying a blank-firing pistol. Suspects now face potential charges for breaching the peace, property damage, and insult.

The violent flashpoint highlights how Germany’s favorite fast food has transformed into a symbol of broader economic pressures. The Guardian reported that a standard doner typically costs between €7.50 and €9, a sharp rise from the €3.50 to €4 price tag common until 2020. Higher energy and food costs have driven up prices across the country, where residents consume more than 1.3 billion doners annually.

Following the chaos, police did not disclose whether the shop owner would face prosecution. The owner stated that he intends to donate all remaining kebabs to a local homeless charity in the city.