Should you open a Turkish restaurant in Leicester?
Leicester scores 49 out of 100 on our demand index — possible, but competitive. The council currently has 36 Turkish restaurants against an estimated 1,450 monthly searches for Turkish food, which works out to roughly 9,451 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: Leicester looks possible, but competitive 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 Leicester compares in East Midlands
Leicester ranks 13 of 35 councils in East Midlands by demand score, and 1 of 35 by number of Turkish restaurants. The table below shows its four nearest neighbours by score.
| Council | Demand score | Verdict | Turkish restaurants | Monthly searches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leicester | 49 | Balanced | 36 | 1,450 |
| Derby | 51 | Balanced | 10 | 760 |
| Rushcliffe | 51 | Balanced | 2 | 492 |
| North Kesteven | 50 | Balanced | 3 | 721 |
| South Kesteven | 49 | Balanced | 7 | 875 |
Where the gap is
- Searches per restaurant here run at 37 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 39 Turkish food businesses we hold hygiene data for in Leicester, 64% are rated 5 (the top FSA score) and 4% are rated 2 or below, with 1 still awaiting inspection — hygiene standards locally are mixed, leaving room to differentiate on cleanliness.
Where they cluster: Most Turkish restaurants in Leicester sit in LE3, LE2 and LE1 — 16 in LE3, 12 in LE2, 6 in LE1.
Restaurants already here
| # | Name | Postcode | Hygiene rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Anatolia | LE2 2DA | 5 |
| 02 | BBQ Chicken | LE3 0BS | 5 |
| 03 | Curveside | LE1 1TQ | 5 |
| 04 | Cyprus Kebab House | LE3 0BW | 5 |
| 05 | Donersty | LE2 0QS | 5 |
| 06 | Efes Mangal | LE3 5LG | 5 |
| 07 | Fes Mangal | LE5 3TA | 5 |
| 08 | Grimsby Fisheries and Turkish BBQ Restaurant | LE2 6EH | 5 |
and 31 more See every Turkish restaurant in Leicester →
What it would cost here
Fitting out a 100 m² Turkish restaurant in Leicester with a mid-range fit-out, using our big-city cost assumptions, comes to roughly £186,282 – £369,006 up front. The two largest lines are fit-out & build (£99,000 – £165,000) and kitchen equipment (£20,847 – £76,060).
Open the full cost calculator for Leicester →
Planning estimate only — see the cost calculator for the full breakdown and assumptions.
Frequently asked questions
- How many Turkish restaurants are in Leicester?
- Leicester currently has 36 Turkish restaurants.
- Is there demand for a Turkish restaurant in Leicester?
- Yes — an estimated 1,450 monthly searches relate to Turkish food in Leicester, giving it a demand score of 49/100.
- What would it cost to open a Turkish restaurant in Leicester?
- A 100 m² restaurant with a mid-range fit-out costs roughly £186,282 – £369,006 to open in Leicester, based on our cost model.
- How does Leicester compare to the rest of East Midlands?
- Leicester scores 49/100 and ranks 13 of 35 in East Midlands. The region's top-scoring council is Nottingham, at 74/100.
Thinking about opening here?
Tell us where, and we'll send you the local numbers — population, competition, and rent benchmarks.