A young Harrogate man is taking his first solo steps in the family trade by launching a new restaurant.
Along with two business partners, Hakan Aydin has set up Efes Bar and Grill on the site formerly occupied by Fashion House Bistro on the corner of Swan Road.
It may be a new venture, but it is far from a new career for Hakan, whose father ran restaurants and gave him his first hospitality job. Hakan said:
“My dad is my role model. I always wanted to follow in his footsteps.”
Hakan was raised in Harrogate, attending Harrogate High School, and still lives in the town, along with his brother and parents.
Since leaving school, the 29-year-old has travelled extensively, including a memorable spell teaching English to locals in Turkey:
“I had to have a fake name because it needed to sound English. Steven Gerrard is my hero, so I was Steven.”
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When home from travelling, Hakan was working with his father, who ran Istanbul Bar and Grill in Harrogate and is now based at Rubins on Cheltenham Parade.
It was his father who suggested the location for Hakan’s first restaurant and the turnaround has been quick: just three weeks from getting the keys to opening the doors.
Alongside business partners Yusef and Mehmet, responsible for front-of-house and kitchen respectively, Hakan is determined to make a success of a unit that has changed hands repeatedly in recent years.
The trio are adding more outdoor seating with a decking area at the front overlooking Swan Road, and have developed an extensive menu of Turkish and Mediterranean dishes.
They are confident there is space in the local market for what they offer, even though there are several established Mediterranean restaurants in Harrogate already, because Hakan believes people want to revisit a style of dining they have enjoyed on holiday.
Yusef and Hakan
The food at Efes is already going down well. Hakan’s friends from playing football and squash, along with people he knows from the gym, were among the first customers when Efes quietly opened its doors at the weekend.
Having already introduced himself to neighbours around Swan Road, Hakan has welcomed a few into the restaurant this week. He hopes it will become a regular spot for locals, as well as attracting visitors to the nearby Harrogate Convention Centre.
He said:
“Even if you don’t want to come for something to eat, just come for a conversation and a coffee. I like to meet different people of different backgrounds.
“I’d like to think people will come here as guests or customers and leave as friends.”
Efes – named after the ancient Turkish town Ephesius – will be open daily from noon until 10pm. Hakan, Yusef and Mehmet will be there every day, along with a small team of staff who Hakan hopes to give the same help into a career in hospitality that he had as a child.
He also wants the restaurant to give something back to his home town. He said:
“I love this town. I wanted something to link my heritage with my town.
“I’ve been lucky to travel the world – places like Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Greece – but I wouldn’t swap Harrogate for the world. If Harrogate wins, I win.”