community*
Taste of
TURKEY
WE ARE
OPEN
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SHIRLEY LE GUERN CHATS TO ONE UMHLANGA COUPLE WHO HAVE TAKEN THE LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE LOCKDOWN TO EXPAND THEIR RESTAURANT BUSINESS
estauranteurs Zohra and Ismail Teke are counting down to the opening of their new Sofra Istanbul Turkish eaterie on Palm Boulevard opposite Gateway at the beginning of October. Amazingly enough, although this is happening at a time when many restaurants have closed their doors, it was the lockdown itself that re-ignited the couple’s dream to open a third restaurant to the north of Durban.
The menu comes straight from her mother-inlaw’s village kitchen in Turkey and reflects the authentic dishes she learnt to prepare Zohra explains that offers to deliver takeouts en route home to uMhlanga during level 3 of lockdown helped create a whole new client base that was ready and waiting for a sit-down venue. When they were approached by a landlord eager to replace a restaurant that could no longer trade during the stringent lockdown period at an extremely attractive
rental, they couldn’t refuse. They diverted some of the funds from an interest-free loan from the Giving For Hope Foundation they were using to tide themselves over during lockdown, into the new venture. Ever hands-on, Zohra became the project manager, overseeing everything from tiling to brickwork and innovatively sourcing building materials at a fraction of the price via neighbourhood networks. “I can’t afford to fail. For me, that’s simply not an option,” says this exjournalist who met her Turkish husband and acquired her love for Turkish food while travelling around Europe and also visiting Lebanon and the Middle East. On her return to South Africa, the couple opened their own media company, producing everything from health magazines to running international campaigns for the likes of the World Health Organization. However, their world was turned upside down when Ismail was diagnosed with cancer. Zohra persevered with her media career while her husband recovered, but says she soon realised he was becoming increasingly frustrated at home. As he moved into remission, the couple decided to create a place where he could develop a whole new focus and meet with his Turkish friends. They opened their first Sofra Istanbul restaurant at the Pavilion simply because Westville has a
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