Should you open a Turkish restaurant in Merton?
Merton scores 26 out of 100 on our demand index — a tough market right now. The council currently has 16 Turkish restaurants against an estimated 30 monthly searches for Turkish food, which works out to roughly 11,325 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: Merton 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 Merton compares in London
Merton ranks 33 of 33 councils in London by demand score, and 28 of 33 by number of Turkish restaurants. The table below shows its four nearest neighbours by score.
| Council | Demand score | Verdict | Turkish restaurants | Monthly searches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merton | 26 | Saturated | 16 | 30 |
| City of London | 38 | Saturated | 8 | — |
| Barnet | 33 | Saturated | 53 | 430 |
| Barking and Dagenham | 29 | Saturated | 13 | 80 |
| Bromley | 27 | Saturated | 25 | 130 |
Where the gap is
- Searches per restaurant here run at 2 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 16 Turkish food businesses we hold hygiene data for in Merton, 100% are rated 5 (the top FSA score) and 0% 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 Merton sit in SW19, SW20 and SM4 — 4 in SW19, 4 in SW20, 3 in SM4.
Restaurants already here
| # | Name | Postcode | Hygiene rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | BBQ Pasha | SW19 8DZ | 5 |
| 02 | Ceylin's | CR4 1RB | 5 |
| 03 | EFES Premium | SW19 3SG | 5 |
| 04 | HAS KEBAB | SW19 8LA | 5 |
| 05 | Kapak Restaurant | SW20 0AY | 5 |
| 06 | Kebaby | SM4 5HT | 5 |
| 07 | Lava Lounge Restaurant | — | 5 |
| 08 | Legend Kebab | KT3 6NB | 5 |
and 8 more See every Turkish restaurant in Merton →
What it would cost here
Fitting out a 100 m² Turkish restaurant in Merton with a mid-range fit-out, using our London cost assumptions, comes to roughly £215,652 – £419,166 up front. The two largest lines are fit-out & build (£121,500 – £202,500) and kitchen equipment (£20,847 – £76,060).
Open the full cost calculator for Merton →
Planning estimate only — see the cost calculator for the full breakdown and assumptions.
Frequently asked questions
- How many Turkish restaurants are in Merton?
- Merton currently has 16 Turkish restaurants.
- Is there demand for a Turkish restaurant in Merton?
- Yes — an estimated 30 monthly searches relate to Turkish food in Merton, giving it a demand score of 26/100.
- What would it cost to open a Turkish restaurant in Merton?
- A 100 m² restaurant with a mid-range fit-out costs roughly £215,652 – £419,166 to open in Merton, based on our cost model.
- How does Merton compare to the rest of London?
- Merton scores 26/100 and ranks 33 of 33 in London. The region's top-scoring council is Kensington and Chelsea, at 90/100.
Thinking about opening here?
Tell us where, and we'll send you the local numbers — population, competition, and rent benchmarks.