At the beginning of the year, a brand new restaurant called Avaspi took over the former home of Pescadero in Lakeview at 1258 W. Belmont Avenue, offering a taste of the Middle East, Mediterranean, and other nearby regions.
Mehmet Duzgun owns and operates the concept, which is inspired by the food and flavors of Anatolia, a region of modern-day Turkey on the Asian continent. What Now Media Group recently caught up with Duzgun to learn more about his journey and how things have been going since the Anatolia-inspired destination opened in March.
Q: How did you get into the industry? Did you always know you wanted to own a business?
A: I started to work in this industry at a very young age as a busboy. Then, I worked as a waiter in various parts of Anatolia, far from my comfort zone, and was exposed to a diverse range of cuisines. As a server, part of my job was explaining the food and how it was made to the guests. As you do this work, you are always wondering what ingredients are used and how they are prepared. You become curious about how the chefs harmoniously create dishes unique to each food with particular and sometimes surprising spices and herbs. That was the moment I decided to become a cook and started as a prep cook to make mezes. Later, I was trained as a line cook and learned to work with the unique cuisines of the Anatolian regions. Throughout those experiences, I was able to create my own recipes. As the guests tried these foods and showed their appreciation, I became more motivated to create different fusion dishes. I have always dreamed of having my own restaurant.
Q: Where did the idea for the business come from?
A: My restaurant, Avaspi Anatolian Tapas, is the result of the creation of fusion dishes with an innovative twist. Avaspi (“pure water” in Kurdish) is named after a river in Mardin, a historic multicultural city in Southeastern Anatolia. The river, known for its pure waterfalls and greenery, gives life to agricultural lands in the Mesopotamian plains, something of a miracle in this arid region. The food and flavors of these lands have brought people of various ethnic groups around the same table for thousands of years. Here at Avaspi, we are devoted to bringing Anatolia’s rich multi-ethnic cuisine and the deep culture of hospitality to Chicago.
Q: How have things been going since you opened?
A: We are a new restaurant with a unique concept, and people have started to explore our cuisine. We have been receiving very positive responses and are starting to see a snowball effect. We see people traveling from the suburbs just to try our food.
Q: What’s the most challenging part about opening a business?
A: The most challenging part is to find the niche and get the people in the door to try your food. So, it’s important in the restaurant industry to find a location and a specific building that aligns with your idea and concept. When we opened Avaspi, we had to make sure the neighborhood was vibrant, with lots of street life and people open to trying new experiences.
Q: What do you think is the most rewarding part about opening a business?
A: When you start to create your business idea, you naturally need to deliver a promise to offer something new. You need to put your experience and creativity to work and reflect your excitement in this offering. When people start to buy into your idea, which is the result of long-term dreams, effort, and sweat, and show their appreciation, that is the most rewarding part.
Follow on Instagram @avaspichicago.
This feature comes from What Now Media Group’s Accelerate program. Click here for more information about how to attend our upcoming Accelerate events for a chance to be featured.
