Should you open a Turkish restaurant in Wakefield?
Wakefield scores 35 out of 100 on our demand index — a tough market right now. The council currently has 8 Turkish restaurants against an estimated 450 monthly searches for Turkish food, which works out to roughly 32,125 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: Wakefield 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 Wakefield compares in Yorkshire and Humberside
Wakefield ranks 10 of 13 councils in Yorkshire and Humberside by demand score, and 9 of 13 by number of Turkish restaurants. The table below shows its four nearest neighbours by score.
| Council | Demand score | Verdict | Turkish restaurants | Monthly searches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wakefield | 35 | Saturated | 8 | 450 |
| Calderdale | 42 | Balanced | 14 | 1,069 |
| Doncaster | 39 | Saturated | 15 | 490 |
| North East Lincolnshire | 31 | Saturated | 8 | — |
| Barnsley | 25 | Saturated | 7 | 150 |
Where the gap is
- Turkish restaurants already trading in Wakefield average a 4.0-star Google 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 41 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 Wakefield, 56% 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 Wakefield sit in WF1, WF2 and WF7 — 4 in WF1, 2 in WF2, 1 in WF7.
Restaurants already here
| # | Name | Postcode | Hygiene rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Bigfellas Pizzeria | WF1 5DX | 5 |
| 02 | Maya's | WF8 1PQ | 5 |
| 03 | Olive and Meze | WF1 3BJ | 5 |
| 04 | Sofra Turkish Grill | WF1 3AS | 5 |
| 05 | UK Pizza and Kebab | WF4 3JU | 5 |
| 06 | Aya Turkish Restaurant & Bar | WF1 1TB | 4 |
| 07 | Massimo Pizza And Kebab | WF2 7PL | 4 |
| 08 | Mavas Pizza & Chicken Shop | WF2 9BS | 4 |
and 2 more See every Turkish restaurant in Wakefield →
What it would cost here
Fitting out a 100 m² Turkish restaurant in Wakefield 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 Wakefield →
Planning estimate only — see the cost calculator for the full breakdown and assumptions.
Frequently asked questions
- How many Turkish restaurants are in Wakefield?
- Wakefield currently has 8 Turkish restaurants.
- Is there demand for a Turkish restaurant in Wakefield?
- Yes — an estimated 450 monthly searches relate to Turkish food in Wakefield, giving it a demand score of 35/100.
- What would it cost to open a Turkish restaurant in Wakefield?
- A 100 m² restaurant with a mid-range fit-out costs roughly £174,402 – £348,546 to open in Wakefield, based on our cost model.
- How does Wakefield compare to the rest of Yorkshire and Humberside?
- Wakefield scores 35/100 and ranks 10 of 13 in Yorkshire and Humberside. The region's top-scoring council is Leeds, at 82/100.
Thinking about opening here?
Tell us where, and we'll send you the local numbers — population, competition, and rent benchmarks.