THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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Türkiye’s restaurant industry is grappling with soaring inflation, rent, energy and food costs, while facing growing public resentment over menu prices, according to the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce’s (İTO) Restaurants, Food and Beverage Committee.
Industry leaders warn that without urgent support, closures and job losses could accelerate.
The committee, which has been studying the sector for the past three years, presented some sobering figures.
According to the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB), 2,136 restaurants shut down in 2023 and the number of closures rose by 21.4 percent in 2024.
Committee Chair Ebru Koralı said more than 100,000 food and beverage businesses operate nationwide, with nearly 20,000 in Istanbul alone.
But the mood in dining rooms has shifted. “Customers now come in on guard, reacting to everything. They look at us like robbers,” she said.
“After the pandemic disrupted supply chains, rent burdens piled on. Almost every business is under severe strain. Yet restaurants are where people have celebrated their happiest moments — engagements, birthdays, anniversaries,” Koralı noted.
The committee stressed that the “overpricing” narrative ignores the reality that prices are driven by cost inflation, not arbitrary markups.
Koralı pointed to rent increases of 30 to 40 times in some cases, alongside surging energy bills and ingredient costs. “We are in constant contact with every part of the supply chain. For the sector to remain sustainable, pricing policies must be reassessed and updated,” she said.
Koralı also called for emergency financial support mechanisms and job protection measures to be implemented quickly.
“We are not talking about luxury here — we are talking about preserving a sector that is part of the country’s social fabric,” she said…
