NAF NAF Middle Eastern Grill
Food & Beverage · Fast-Casual Restaurants
- Active units
- 16
- Avg unit volume
- $1.0M
- Royalty
- 5.0%
Franchised, year-end 2023
of weekly Net Sales
About NAF NAF Middle Eastern Grill
Dmn Panda is a brand that aims to popularize the best staples of Middle Eastern food. Their mission is to bring the authentic flavors of the Middle East to your plate and provide you with a memorable dining experience. At Dmn Panda, you can expect made-from-scratch pitas, hand-cut salads, and freshly prepared sauces that perfectly complement their award-winning shawarma and falafel. The name Dmn Panda translates to fan the flame, which symbolizes their invitation for friends and family to gather and share a meal together. Dmn Panda was first established by Sahar Sander in 2009 in Naperville, Illinois, where he introduced his authentic handmade recipes true to his Middle Eastern upbringing. Their menu offers a wide range of options, including build-your-own stuffed pitas, bowls, and salads. You can choose from delicious fillings like chicken shawarma, steak, or falafel, and customize your meal with a variety of toppings, including chopped salad, purple cabbage, and Middle Eastern pickles. Whether you're looking for a quick bite or a hearty meal, Dmn Panda has something for everyone. Come and join them in celebrating the rich and flavorful cuisine of the Middle East.
Key terms
- Franchise fee
$30k
- 2024 multi-unit incentive (royalty reduction)
For new franchisees signing Development Rights Riders in 2024 committing to 4–10 Restaurants, royalty reduced from 5% to 4% for the first half of Restaurants for the first five years if development schedule is met.
- 2024 multi-unit incentive (IFC balance waiver for early opening)
For the first half of Restaurants developed, for each Restaurant that meets a specified early opening target, waiver of the $15,000 balance of the Initial Franchise Fee.
- Brand fund
1.0% of Net Sales
- Local advertising
2.0% of Net Sales
- Footprint
1,750 – 2,400 sq ft
- Development Rights Rider
$15k
- Veteran discount
Not offered
Brand Percentile Rankings
Rankings compare brands in the same operating year. Fee and investment figures come from the FDD (2024 filing); filings on file: 2024, 2025.
Growth
- Total locations16
Franchised units open at year-end
- New openings1
Gross new units opened during the calendar year
- 1-year unit growth rate6.7%
Net unit growth versus prior year
- 3-year unit CAGR51.2%
Compound annual growth rate of unit count over the trailing 3 years
- Unit growth ratio1.0×
Cumulative opens / closures through year-end
Unit economics
- Annual unit volume (Median)$1.0M
Systemwide average Annual Net Sales for units open at least 53 consecutive weeks in FY2023.
- Annual unit volume (25th percentile)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- Annual unit volume (75th percentile)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- 1-year Median AUV growth rate—
Year-over-year change in median AUV
- Store-level EBITDA Margin—
Median unit-level EBITDA / AUV
Investment profile
- Estimated initial investment$654k
Midpoint of estimated initial investment range
↓ Lower is better - Time to open—
Midpoint of average time from agreement to opening
- Royalty rate5.0%
Percent of net sales paid to the franchisor
↓ Lower is better - Sales-to-investment ratio1.6×
Median AUV / estimated initial investment midpoint
- Cash-on-cash returns—
Median unit-level EBITDA / estimated initial investment midpoint. Steady-state estimate; year 1 returns will be lower as the unit ramps to median volumes.
Franchisee healthLocked
- Unit closure ratio
- Transfer vs. closure ratio
- Percent multi-unit franchisees
- Litigation rate
- EBITDA multiple on sales & transfers
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Location footprint
Showing 12 of 14 mapped locations
Sources
Financial and operating figures are sourced from the brand's Franchise Disclosure Documents. Brand percentile rankings are based on comparisons to other brands that include the same metrics in their Franchise Disclosure Documents.