Özgül began her career as a retailer in Istanbul’s bustling Grand Bazaar, one of the oldest (and largest) covered markets in the world, before working in accounting for several years. When pregnant with her first child, she quit her office job, embraced her entrepreneurial spirit, and, after having her baby, opened a retail store to sell children’s items. A crisis in the textile sector forced her to close her business, but Özgül still wanted to work and help support her family. She turned to food, something that’s been in her life ever since her childhood in Kars, Turkey. Özgül first opened a butcher shop, and, in order to use up leftover meat and avoid waste, she opened a doner kebap shop right next door. An investor then approached her with an offer to partner in another kebap restaurant. She’s since moved on to run a Çiğ Köfte (popular chain restaurant) for five years, all the while honing and developing her business skills — and of course, cooking the delicious food from her hometown.
