Spanian has launched the latest eatery in his popular Spanian’s Kebabs franchise in Sydney’s Newtown.
The social media sensation looked a tad stressed as he welcomed patrons to the King Street restaurant on Saturday.
The 40-year-old was spotted sitting down and staring off pensively at one stage, before cracking a smile for the fans that showed up.
Reviews for the kebab shop have been mixed, with it so far gaining a Google Reviews score of 2.8 out of a possible 5.
‘Very disappointing. The portion was extremely small with only tiny pieces of meat in an $18 sandwich. It felt overpriced and underwhelming. Definitely overhyped. I won’t be coming back and wouldn’t recommend it. Avoid,’ read one review.
Another said: ‘Stale bread. Dry meat. Less than average,’ while one more added, ‘First and last time going there, that’s for sure.’
Spanian (pictured) has launched the latest eatery in his popular Spanian’s Kebabs franchise in Sydney’s Newtown. The social media sensation looked a tad stressed as he welcomed patrons to the King Street restaurant on Saturday
Someone else wrote: ‘The lamb was a bit chewy. Could do with some slower cooking. Flavour wasn’t bad.’
‘The kebab was fine and taste decent enough – but for $18, there’s not much filling so I’m guessing maybe 60-80 grams of meat? I’m already hungry again. Meh,’ one more commented.
Others loved it however, with one person writing: ‘The rice was delicious with the meat and the salad, you can tell by the meat’s tenderness that is good quality, better than some well established kebab shops that have been open longer… I will be back.’
One more agreed: ‘Had been wanting to see what the hype was about for a while. Glad I did, the food and service were perfect. Good experience overall.’
‘The food is amazing,’ added one more.
‘Congrats on the opening. The food and service were perfect. The seasoning on the chips was off the chart. Should have stayed for ice cream,’ wrote another.
Spanian has taken a risk with the location of his store, which sits on what has been labelled as a ‘cursed corner’ by some in the restaurant business.
The spot sat vacant for three years before hosting a Mr Potato location – a fast food chain that suffered a total collapse last year.
The 40-year-old was spotted sitting down and staring off pensively at one stage
He cracked a smile for the fans that showed up
The Newtown store opened in April 2023 but there were clear signs the Mr Potato business was in big trouble later that year.
It closed its doors in June 2025, making room for Spanian to take over the space.
Spanian, real name Anthony Lees, was once Sydney’s poster boy for the working-class urban youth subculture called eshays, known for tracksuits, bum bags, tough talk and street cred.
Now a legitimate businessman and entertainer, he has previous convictions for armed robbery, causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and reckless wounding.
His last sentence was for operating a criminal group that dealt drugs, and he has served more than 12 years in prison in total.
After his most recent prison release in 2017, he launched the YouTube series Into the Hood, travelling across Australia and the world visiting dangerous, crime-riddled areas.
An influencer career soon beckoned as he marketed himself on YouTube as a reformed ex-crim, earning a fortune in the process.
He recently ended his two-year marriage to Angela McColl, just a few months after she gave birth to their son.
He is currently dating much younger girlfriend Ava Jean Walker, 22.
