Should you open a Turkish restaurant in Folkestone and Hythe?
Quick answer
Folkestone and Hythe scores 30 out of 100 on our demand index — a tough market right now. The council currently has 9 Turkish restaurants against an estimated 420 monthly searches for Turkish food, which works out to roughly 9,146 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: Folkestone and Hythe 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 Folkestone and Hythe compares in South East
Folkestone and Hythe ranks 53 of 64 councils in South East by demand score, and 14 of 64 by number of Turkish restaurants. The table below shows its four nearest neighbours by score.
| Council | Demand score | Verdict | Turkish restaurants | Monthly searches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Folkestone and Hythe | 30 | Saturated | 9 | 420 |
| Lewes | 28 | Saturated | 1 | 170 |
| Horsham | 28 | Saturated | 5 | 180 |
| Woking | 26 | Saturated | 4 | 190 |
| Reigate and Banstead | 25 | Saturated | 10 | 240 |
Where the gap is
- Searches per restaurant here run at 35 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 9 Turkish food businesses we hold hygiene data for in Folkestone and Hythe, 40% are rated 5 (the top FSA score) and 0% are rated 2 or below, with 0 still awaiting inspection — hygiene standards locally are mixed, leaving room to differentiate on cleanliness.
Where they cluster: Most Turkish restaurants in Folkestone and Hythe sit in CT21, CT20 and TN28 — 3 in CT21, 3 in CT20, 1 in TN28.
Restaurants already here
| Name | Postcode | Hygiene rating |
|---|---|---|
| Ali Baba Grill | CT20 2SZ | 5 |
| Diamond BBQ | TN28 8AU | 5 |
| Aspendos Hawkinge | CT18 7BS | 4 |
| Aspendos Restaurant | CT20 1TH | 4 |
| Sunshine Bistro | CT20 1RY | 3 |
| Aspendos (Cheriton) | CT19 4EY | — |
| Aspendos | Hythe | CT21 5NH | — |
| Hythe Kebab House | CT21 6PH | — |
and 1 more See every Turkish restaurant in Folkestone and Hythe
What it would cost here
Fitting out a 100 m² Turkish restaurant in Folkestone and Hythe 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 Folkestone and Hythe →
Planning estimate only — see the cost calculator for the full breakdown and assumptions.
Frequently asked questions
- How many Turkish restaurants are in Folkestone and Hythe?
- Folkestone and Hythe currently has 9 Turkish restaurants.
- Is there demand for a Turkish restaurant in Folkestone and Hythe?
- Yes — an estimated 420 monthly searches relate to Turkish food in Folkestone and Hythe, giving it a demand score of 30/100.
- What would it cost to open a Turkish restaurant in Folkestone and Hythe?
- A 100 m² restaurant with a mid-range fit-out costs roughly £174,402 – £348,546 to open in Folkestone and Hythe, based on our cost model.
- How does Folkestone and Hythe compare to the rest of South East?
- Folkestone and Hythe scores 30/100 and ranks 53 of 64 in South East. The region's top-scoring council is Oxford, at 89/100.
Thinking about opening here?
Tell us where, and we'll send you the local numbers — population, competition, and rent benchmarks.