How to choose the right location for your cafe or restaurant

District tiers, street vs mall vs office vs campus, a footfall counting method and lease red flags.

9 min read · Updated 2026-09-05

District tiers

Because street-level data changes monthly, we group districts into rent and price tiers. 2026 estimates for monthly rent (₺/m², street-front F&B):

Tier	Examples	Rent
Istanbul prime	Nişantaşı, Bebek, Moda, Karaköy, Bağdat Avenue	2,500-4,500
Istanbul busy	inner Kadıköy, Beşiktaş, Ataşehir, Bakırköy	1,000-1,800
Ankara / Izmir	Tunalı, Çankaya, Alsancak, Bornova	900-1,500
Other metros	Antalya, Bursa, Adana, Gaziantep, Konya	600-1,000
Anatolian city centres	Eskişehir, Trabzon, Kayseri, Denizli	300-500

Within a tier, a side street is 15% cheaper and a mall 30% dearer plus service charges; office districts are empty at weekends; campus areas collapse in summer.

Street, mall, office or campus?

Main street: high footfall, high rent, takeaway-heavy.
Side street: loyal neighbourhood customers, lower rent, takes time to be discovered.
Mall: guaranteed traffic, turnover rent (8-12%) plus service charges and mandatory long hours.
Office district: strong weekday lunch, meal cards essential, closed weekends.
Campus: high volume, low ticket, 40% drop in summer and holidays.
Seaside / touristic: 60% of the year in May-September; winter must be cash-funded.

Count footfall yourself (the 3-day method)

Count people passing the candidate on a weekday 12:30-13:30, a weekend 15:00-16:00 and an evening 19:00-20:00. Mark separately those who fit your profile (age, pace, coffee in hand). Rough conversion: 2-6 of every 100 suitable passers-by walk in. This is the most reliable source for a daily customer estimate.

Competitor map

Draw a 5-minute walking circle on Google Maps; note similar venues, seat counts and three prices (filter coffee, breakfast plate, main course). No competitors may signal no demand; a "cafe street" proves demand but requires a verifiable difference.

Rent negotiation and red flags

Rent quoted in foreign currency (not lawful, shifts the risk to you).
Lease shorter than 3 years or no renewal option.
No gas line, chimney or ventilation route.
Title deed registered as residential.
Key money above 6 months of rent.
A landlord who says "the licence is your problem": ask for a licence-conditional break clause.

Visibility, parking and delivery

Corner plots and glass frontage raise visibility; parking matters for families, courier access for delivery. A terrace with morning sun is valuable for breakfast.

Seasonality and Ramadan

Ramadan cuts daytime dining 10-20% (and lifts patisseries) and moves 11 days earlier each year. August is low in city centres, October-December high. FIZIB applies a monthly index based on the location type you choose.

Candidate scoring list

Score rent-to-revenue, footfall count, competitor density, title deed, gas, chimney, visibility, lease term, key money and licence eligibility from 1 to 5; compare two candidates as two separate FIZIB feasibilities.

Add this step to your feasibility.

Answer the questions; get your 36-month projection and investor deck.

Start free