Should you open a Turkish restaurant in Braintree?
Braintree scores 34 out of 100 on our demand index — a tough market right now. The council currently has 10 Turkish restaurants against an estimated 410 monthly searches for Turkish food, which works out to roughly 11,944 residents for every Turkish restaurant already trading here. The single biggest factor behind that number is review volume per restaurant, which ranks higher here than in most other councils in England and Wales. That combination of supply, search interest and population is what the verdict above is based on: Braintree looks a tough market right now for someone weighing up whether to open a Turkish restaurant in the area, relative to every other council we track.
Read next: How to Open a Turkish Restaurant in the UK in 2026: Step-by-Step Guide
How this score breaks down
How Braintree compares in East Counties
Braintree ranks 36 of 45 councils in East Counties by demand score, and 20 of 45 by number of Turkish restaurants. The table below shows its four nearest neighbours by score.
| Council | Demand score | Verdict | Turkish restaurants | Monthly searches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braintree | 34 | Saturated | 10 | 410 |
| Cambridge | 38 | Saturated | 7 | 310 |
| Babergh | 37 | Saturated | 7 | 632 |
| Broadland | 32 | Saturated | 4 | 450 |
| King's Lynn and West Norfolk | 32 | Saturated | 5 | 320 |
Where the gap is
- Searches per restaurant here run at 32 a month, well below the 108-a-month median across councils with reliable data — a sign the market may already be saturated relative to demand.
The hygiene picture
Of the 10 Turkish food businesses we hold hygiene data for in Braintree, 71% are rated 5 (the top FSA score) and 14% are rated 2 or below, with 0 still awaiting inspection — the local bar for hygiene is already high, so a new entrant would need to match it from day one.
Where they cluster: Most Turkish restaurants in Braintree sit in CM7, CO9 and CM77 — 4 in CM7, 2 in CO9, 2 in CM77.
Restaurants already here
| # | Name | Postcode | Hygiene rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Astare Restaurant | CM8 1AA | 5 |
| 02 | Efesus Kitchen Turkish Grill And Bar | CM77 8ED | 5 |
| 03 | Elena's Bistro | CM7 1UG | 5 |
| 04 | Halstead BBQ | CO9 1HT | 5 |
| 05 | The Shiish | CO9 2AR | 5 |
| 06 | Chicken Delight | CM7 3HJ | 4 |
| 07 | Mr Kebab | CM7 9EJ | 2 |
| 08 | Hasturk | CM77 8YJ | — |
and 2 more See every Turkish restaurant in Braintree →
What it would cost here
Fitting out a 100 m² Turkish restaurant in Braintree with a mid-range fit-out, using our small-town cost assumptions, comes to roughly £174,402 – £348,546 up front. The two largest lines are fit-out & build (£90,000 – £150,000) and kitchen equipment (£20,847 – £76,060).
Open the full cost calculator for Braintree →
Planning estimate only — see the cost calculator for the full breakdown and assumptions.
Frequently asked questions
- How many Turkish restaurants are in Braintree?
- Braintree currently has 10 Turkish restaurants.
- Is there demand for a Turkish restaurant in Braintree?
- Yes — an estimated 410 monthly searches relate to Turkish food in Braintree, giving it a demand score of 34/100.
- What would it cost to open a Turkish restaurant in Braintree?
- A 100 m² restaurant with a mid-range fit-out costs roughly £174,402 – £348,546 to open in Braintree, based on our cost model.
- How does Braintree compare to the rest of East Counties?
- Braintree scores 34/100 and ranks 36 of 45 in East Counties. The region's top-scoring council is Dacorum, at 80/100.
Thinking about opening here?
Tell us where, and we'll send you the local numbers — population, competition, and rent benchmarks.