Full Service Mediterranean Concept Opening in Dunedin

DUNEDIN, FL – Tapas El Turco is targeting a late April or early May opening at 463 Grant St., Dunedin, FL 34698, where owner Daryal Kafkasso Erdem plans to introduce a full-service Mediterranean restaurant centered on healthy cooking and live entertainment.

Erdem told Business Debut his goal is to create a venue where guests can “eat as healthy as at your own home,” using no seed oils and focusing instead on butter, cold-pressed olive oil, beef tallow and avocado oil.

Business Debut learned of this story first from The Tampa Bay Times.

What to Expect

Tapas El Turco will specialize in Turkish-style tapas, offering a wide range of shareable small plates inspired by Anatolian and Mediterranean cuisine. The menu will feature numerous vegan options, reflecting traditional olive oil-based dishes common in Turkish cooking.

“The recipes you're gonna serve here are the recipes I enjoy through my childhood to my growing up,” Erdem told Business Debut. “Everything has a memory. Everything has a special meaning for me in this menu.”

The restaurant will offer both lunch and dinner service and seat 128 guests inside and out. Erdem emphasized a large outdoor seating area designed to complement the live music component.

Menu and Vision

Erdem described the concept as healthy, homestyle Mediterranean cooking rooted in ancient Anatolia and modern-day Turkey. He said the kitchen is committed to eliminating seed oils entirely.

“If you come in you know that 100 percent your body will be nourished and you'll appreciate the taste,” he told Business Debut. “Your body will thank you later.”

Chef Omar will lead the kitchen, bringing experience in Mediterranean cuisine and 10 years working in Tampa Bay restaurants. General Manager Sezer Ender will oversee front-of-house operations and the bar program. Ender, a veteran bartender and mixologist, will craft Mediterranean- and Aegean-inspired cocktails with traditional flavors and unique twists.

Music will be central to the experience. Erdem, a longtime Tampa Bay musician and founder of the 12-piece world music band Kafkasso, plans to feature Spanish guitarists, flamenco dancers, belly dancers and other Mediterranean performers, particularly on weekends.

“When you walk into a restaurant you should feel you are in a different place,” Erdem told Business Debut. “We're going to try to work on your five senses.”

Opening Timeline

Tapas El Turco is targeting a late April opening, with a possible extension into early May as final preparations are completed.

Hours

The restaurant plans to operate Wednesday through Sunday, opening at 11:30 a.m. Closing times are planned for 11 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, midnight on Sundays, and 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Follow for More

Follow Tapas El Turco on Instagram. A website is coming soon.

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