A man from Turkey whose family were affected by the earthquake last year, has turned his luck around after opening a restaurant in Farnworth.
The M&M Turkish BBQ has been open for a week, and is run by Mehmet Aytekin and Mehmet Kilinc, both originally from Turkey.
The two men were former colleagues at Beefalo Steakhouse in Blackburn Road and have now opened their own restaurant concentrating on Turkish barbecue food.
Mr Aytekin’s own family were caught up in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey in February last year.
He said: “I have always wanted to do something like this here because my dad does this in Turkey.
“My dad is a chef and he taught me how to cook like him when I was younger.
“We made all the grills and mezzes fresh every day and we are making this one authentic too.
“We have been working hard Mehmet and I to open this restaurant successfully, because we want to try to make something everyone can enjoy and show off the recipes we have learnt.
“We want to be the best at what we do because we wanted to do something different for people in Farnworth as there isn’t anything quite like this here.”
The family of Mr Aytekin were forced to sleep in cars after their home was destroyed by the earthquake last year, something they have since overcome.
He said: “Everyone is okay now and we have rebuilt our house, but it took a lot of time and money to do it.
“It’s been hard at times especially when you are not there, but it also made me more focused to succeed as there was a lot riding on it.
“I was supporting my family through this because I wanted to know they were safe.”
On the menu, there are things like lamb grills, donor grills, vegetarian grills, and soup as well as a choice of hummus and other dips.
Mr Aytekin said: “We’d really love the support people are already showing us and would love to see more people come down and try the food.
“The restaurant has had a quiet but steady start to the week but both men are positive and have already seen plenty people picking up takeaway options.”
All the meat is organic and comes from Turkey as well as being hand-grinded rather than using machines.
Mr Kilinic said: “We’ve talked about it for ages, so this was the right time to open.
“We’re in a good place in Farnworth and we hope people give us a chance even if they want to order takeout or come and sit inside.”
Find M&M Turkish BBQ in Higher Market Street, Farnworth.
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