ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News
Fatih Municipality presented fish restaurants in the district’s Kumkapı neighborhood with flags signifying each eatery’s quality Tuesday as part of a larger push to improve the standards of the premises in the area.
“The restaurants here should represent us in the best way. By creating a competition, we will make restaurants eliminate their problems,” said Fatih Mayor Mustafa Demir.
The restaurants were given flags signifying their stars according to their hygiene, cuisine, quality and price.
The locations will be checked every six months, said Demir, adding that they wanted the restaurants to keep high standards.
“Restaurant owners should take care of every detail from welcoming guests to serving on tables and should not apply a price policy that abuses tourists’ lack of knowledge about the city,” said Demir.
Kemal Duranoğlu, head of the Kumkapı Tourist Restaurants and Tradesmen’s Cooperation Association, or Kum-Der, said charging more money from tourists might bring profit in the short run, but would ultimately create a bad reputation.
“A tourist who is deceived will tell his experience to many foreigners and this will reflect negatively on [Kumkapı entrepreneurs],” said Duranoğlu, who was given four stars for his restaurant, Kartallar Valentino.
Receiving a five-star flag for his restaurant Kalamar, Celal Öğmen said they were informed about the project just six months ago by the municipality.
“We reshaped our kitchen from scratch and hired additional chefs. We also put emphasis on health sanitation by keeping our restaurant [spotless] night and day,” said Öğmen, who added that he has kept his menu prices stable for two years.
Valentino, Gölçek, Köşem, Çapari, İrdem, Ege and Lipsoz received four-star flags while Çapari Arif, Okyanus, Kırmızı Karides, Evren, Hoş seda, Afrodit, Olimpiyat, Patara, Meydan, Sandal and Deniz Kızı received three stars each.
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