Who We Are
Having started our journey in Ankara in 2007, until today, we strive to offer a warm, home-like atmosphere to all our guests by welcoming them to our restaurants at any moment of the day, from joyful morning breakfasts to the most enjoyable weekend meals, and from heartfelt conversations during the break hours to delicious evening dinners.
Our Big Story
Ever since our story began in Ankara back in 2007, we have aimed to make every guest feel at home. Whether it’s a cheerful morning breakfast, a pleasant weekend meal, a sincere break-time conversation, or a cozy dinner, we are delighted to host you throughout the day.
Our Growing Family
Text: Along with preparing the local dishes of Türkiye with modern interpretations, we also offer our guests a selection of exquisite flavors from world cuisine. We succeed in offering BigChefs flavors that suit the palate of every country we visit. Today, we continue to serve in more than 120 locations with over 100 branches in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Antalya, Adana, Afyonkarahisar, Bursa, Denizli, Edirne, Eskişehir, İskenderun, Kocaeli, Kayseri, Konya, Manisa, Mersin, Muğla, Nevşehir, Ordu, Sakarya, Samsun, Şanlıurfa, Tekirdağ, Trabzon, Erzurum, Yalova, Germany, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Cyprus, Georgia, and Uzbekistan.
2007
The BigChefs brand was founded by Gamze Cizreli.
2009
Saruhan Tan acquired 40% of BigChefs' shares and the company began branching into İstanbul.
2011
Strong growth followed by the opening of branches in Istanbul and Ankara, and expansion into Anatolia through franchising. We began operating 12 restaurants in 6 cities across Türkiye.
2014
While continuing to grow in the domestic market with company-operated and franchise-operated restaurants, the first internationally franchised restaurant was opened in the Middle East. The total number of restaurants reached 23.
2015
The growth in Türkiye and international markets continued with new restaurant openings. Currently operating 27 restaurants in 7 cities in Türkiye and two countries in the Middle East.
2016
Taxim Capital invested in BigChefs and acquired 40% of the shares.
2017
The administrative building was relocated to Istanbul, and an integrated central kitchen was established.
2018
Gamze Cizreli resigned from her executive duties, and a new CEO was appointed. The first Buselik branch opened in Hisar.
2019
The process of focusing on operational excellence and internationalization was completed.
2020
BigChefs acquired the NumNum brand to attract the younger demographic and launched a delivery service to mitigate the impact of Covid-19.
2021
Digitalization began, with QR menus and robotic systems introduced into service.
2022
The first joint venture agreement was signed for Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the USA.
2023
In March 2023, the third BigChefs restaurant in Europe was opened in Antwerp, Belgium. In addition to this, the third branch in the CIS region was opened in Uzbekistan in the second quarter of 2023. BigChefs went public in the first half of 2023
