Should you open a Turkish restaurant in Lewes?
Quick answer
Lewes scores 28 out of 100 on our demand index — a tough market right now. The council currently has 1 Turkish restaurant against an estimated 170 monthly searches for Turkish food, which works out to roughly 24,976 residents for every Turkish restaurant already trading here. The single biggest factor behind that number is residents 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: Lewes 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 Lewes compares in South East
Lewes ranks 54 of 64 councils in South East by demand score, and 63 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewes | 28 | Saturated | 1 | 170 |
| Folkestone and Hythe | 30 | Saturated | 9 | 420 |
| Horsham | 28 | Saturated | 5 | 180 |
| Woking | 26 | Saturated | 4 | 190 |
| Reigate and Banstead | 25 | Saturated | 10 | 240 |
Where the gap is
- Turkish restaurants already trading in Lewes average a 4.1-star rating, below the 4.3-star average across England and Wales — there looks to be room for a higher-quality newcomer here.
- Searches per restaurant here run at 43 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 1 Turkish food businesses we hold hygiene data for in Lewes, 0% 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 Lewes sit in BN25 — 1 in BN25.
Restaurants already here
| Name | Postcode | Hygiene rating |
|---|---|---|
| Delicious Doner | BN25 1NL | — |
What it would cost here
Fitting out a 100 m² Turkish restaurant in Lewes 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 Lewes →
Planning estimate only — see the cost calculator for the full breakdown and assumptions.
Frequently asked questions
- How many Turkish restaurants are in Lewes?
- Lewes currently has 1 Turkish restaurant.
- Is there demand for a Turkish restaurant in Lewes?
- Yes — an estimated 170 monthly searches relate to Turkish food in Lewes, giving it a demand score of 28/100.
- What would it cost to open a Turkish restaurant in Lewes?
- A 100 m² restaurant with a mid-range fit-out costs roughly £174,402 – £348,546 to open in Lewes, based on our cost model.
- How does Lewes compare to the rest of South East?
- Lewes scores 28/100 and ranks 54 of 64 in South East. The region's top-scoring council is Oxford, at 89/100.
Thinking about opening here?
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