YouTuber Abandons Restaurant Opening, Sends Mascot Instead

Fans were left disappointed this week when they were robbed of a chance to see their favourite star at the opening of his new kebab shop.

Spanian, real name Anthony Lees, opened his new Spanian's Kebabs location in Kogarah on Friday. 

However, the social media star was nowhere to be seen when it came time for the ribbon cutting.

He did not leave fans completely out in the cold, though, sending an oversized cartoon mascot likeness to entertain hungry followers.

The comical creation bore a striking resemblance to its real-life counterpart – right down to the heavily inked arms and legs. 

Despite the name on the sign being a no-show, the grand opening attracted a sizeable crowd eager to get a glimpse of Spanian and grab one of his tasty creations.

Spanian's likeness did find the time to press the flesh with the crowd though, with diners happy to snap selfies with the character.

One fan was spotted beaming as he posed for a photo with cartoon Spanian – hard not to, considering the infectious smile the character sported.     

It appears that Spanian was out of the country for the opening, with his latest Instagram post, shared on Wednesday, showing him in Bangkok. 

It comes after the YouTuber

The social media star shared a clip to Instagram in January showing him posing happily with fans at the official opening of Spanian's Kebabs in Newtown.

Grinning from ear to ear, Spanian cut the commemorative ribbon before proudly showcasing the sleek new takeaway venue.

But it wasn't long before followers noticed something was off.

Fans quickly zeroed in on artwork depicting Spanian painted on the store's wall – – with many insisting it looked nothing like him.