Local group has taste for Italian food

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet

Turkey’s Doğuş Holding, a local group active in several businesses including media and banking, continues its investments in the food and drink sector as executives say its subsidiary, D.ream, will acquire 70 percent of shares in Italian restaurant chain Mezzaluna by the end of 2013.

The 70 percent acquisition will occur after the Competition Board approves the deal, Levent Veziroğlu, CEO of D.ream, said, without disclosing the sale price due to their terms of agreement.

Veziroğlu said Mezzaluna has three different brands under its name, noting that they would develop a strategy for growth with their partner.

Owner of the Mezzaluna restaurant chain, Cihan Bingöl, said in 1984 Mezzaluna operated only in New York, and that Turkey was the first country the restaurant set up shop in outside of America.

Since its first branch opened in 1995, it has established 11 total restaurants in Turkey with around 500 employees.

D.ream has previously bought shares in Armani Ristorante, Nusr-Et Steakhouse, Kiva, Go Mongo, the Istanbul Doors Group and the Azumi Group.