Food & Dining

Today the most talked-about name on Turkey's restaurant agenda was Tavuk Dünyası. Backed by venture capital funds, the chain, which now has more than 500 branches, reached a valuation of 255 billion lira, and it was presented as a case study of fast-growing domestic brands. Dürümle, which operates under the same group, also took its share of this growth story and drew attention with the expansion of its franchise network. The movement in the sector was not limited to these two. Pastafino, launched under the consultancy of a retailer with 30 years of experience, announced a target of 300 branches with its fast pasta concept and entered the franchise world as a new player.

Established names in the market also stayed in the headlines. BigChefs maintained its leadership in the restaurant market and its status as a reference brand, while TAB Gıda announced that its growth continued thanks to the strong operational performance it recorded in the first half of 2026. On the fast-food front, KFC and Pizza Hut generated heavy traffic with a decision by the Turkish Competition Authority and news about franchise transfers. The activity of the two brands in Turkey reignited discussions about ownership changes and competition in the sector. Barilla, through its communication refresh under the Filiz brand, renewed its message aimed at dining tables.

Further down the list, Yörsan Mutfak's new investment move and Borsa Restoran's story of turning Turkish cuisine into a global luxury gastronomy brand showed the diversity of the sector. Looking at the overall picture, it was a busy day in which both fast-growing startups and established chains made headlines at the same time, and franchise expansion and competition decisions became intertwined.