Dortmund – November 10, 2026 -- A €1 doner promotion at the opening of a new doner shop in Dortmund ended in chaotic scenes, and police officers were attacked. Operator Mustafa Hilal has now apologized in an interview with broadcaster WDR.
Owner thanks police for restoring order
Hilal apologized "from the bottom of his heart" that the situation escalated this far. He also thanked the officers for being there and for getting the situation under control relatively quickly.
Security staff were overwhelmed as the crowd turned dangerous
The shop had hired a security service, but its staff were eventually overwhelmed, Hilal said. He did not blame their skills and noted that they work such events regularly. At some point, he said, the situation became dangerous. He described young people in the crowd as behaving dangerously, which forced him to call the police.
Hilal said he still backs the idea of opening promotions and has run similar ones before. What he disliked was how this one went.
Future promotions may be capped at 100 people
Asked whether he would change anything, Hilal said he would probably not stage such an event again. If he did, he would limit attendance to 100 people or bring in even more security. He had wanted a good day for everyone, with a good mood, plenty of doner eaten and Dortmund getting to know his shop.