The hospitality and food industry in Turkey. General information under the economic and food

The Hospitality and Gastronomy in Turkey
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The Hospitality and Gastronomy in Turkey
Introduction
The food industry in Turkey has expanded at a fast rate since the 1980s. Currently, there are more than 700 fast food restaurants in Turkey. The frequency of consumption of food is influenced by income, age, household size, education and presence of children (Baker, 2009). Other factors which tend to influence food consumption include the attitude of consumers towards the price, child preferences and health concerns. These are critical factors which should be understood by food managers so that they can have the ability of making improvements accordingly.
Economic
Turkish economy emerged from the recent global financial crisis with a strong growth rate of close to 3.5% to 4.0% in 2013. The hotel, restaurant and institutional (HRI) sector in Turkey has benefited from rising economic levels, sustained economic growth and a new generation who want to explore new tastes and products. Tourism revenues in Turkey increased from $22.5 billion in 2010 to 29 billion in 2012 (Atalaysun, 2013). From this, 22% was generated by the Turks while 74% came from foreign tourists. Turkish foods served in restaurants are affordable among the young generation taking into considerations that traditional foods are served in these restaurants.
Restaurants and fast foods has historically been a significant part of household food consumption in Turkey. Significant changes in education, lifestyle, income and consumption patterns of Turkish consumers over the past two decades have motivated several individuals to eat out. Restaurants and food chains have expanded rapidly especially in modern shopping centers as well as hypermarkets (Edelstein, 2009). For instant, Burger King and McDonald's have outlets located in several hypermarkets and supermarkets such as Real, Carefour-SA and other service stations across Turkey. When it comes to fast foods, expenditure is represented by only a small percentage, basically less than 10% of the total expenditure on foods in Turkey (Akbay, Tiryaki, & Gul, n.d). Fast foods are considered as a relatively new concept among Turkish consumers with a history of approximately 20 years.
Moreover, European and American companies have played a significant role in enhancing rapid development of restaurants and food chains in Turkey. Most of the dominant food franchises are American and they occupy close to 50% of the domestic market in Turkey. Moreover, Turkish chains occupy close to one-third of the market while the rest are occupied by European companies such as Burger King (Levine, 2012). Traditional restaurants in Turkey serve traditional beef, chicken, kebabs, lamb donners and other traditional Turkish meals with a western style of service. Despite the fact that most foods are not cheap, several young people regard food restaurants as places of socializing and holding meetings and eating out.
There are plenty of factors which explain changes in food consumption in Turkey and they include longer working days, participation of women in the labor force increased household which have two sources of income, urbanization, longer life expectation, growth in tourism, increased per capita income, increased education level of consumers, and increase in restaurants such as Burger King, McDonald's Pizza Hut and several others (sjyachting.com, 2013). Apart from economic developments, several young people are influenced by western lifestyles especially the ones which are portrayed in television adverts. Several Turkish adolescents have increasingly become westernized and they are more flexible to eat out. The older generation on the other hand prefers Turkish type of food cuisine such as compacted sliced meat, pancake with spicy meat filling and shish kebab.
But the young generation which is mostly composed of college students from wealthy backgrounds prefers foods which have a western background such as Burger King and MacDonald's. In addition, just like in other countries, Turkish consumers use restaurants since they are economic and efficient eating places as well as sites for social interaction and entertainment. Foods chains are exposed to several challenges and this has led to increased market share and launching of new market segments (Kate, 2012). Despite of growing importance of food chains, scholars have given it little attention particularly in academic literature several studies show that food that is consumed away from home is usually taken by consumers who are young, educated and have high household incomes and well-paying jobs. Although this perception is...