Yemeksepeti

Yemeksepeti, whose name means “food basket” in Turkish, is an online food ordering and delivery platform founded in Turkey in 2001. It connects consumers with restaurants through a website, mobile web, and iPhone and Android applications. The platform’s restaurant network includes independent businesses as well as large domestic and international chains, covering categories such as pizza, burgers, kebabs, döner, desserts, and other prepared foods. The company was established by Nevzat Aydın, Melih Ödemiş, Cem Nufusi, and Gökhan Akan. It reached 1,000 daily orders in 2004 and 10,000 daily orders in 2008, when it also received its first investment from the European Founders Fund. In 2012, General Atlantic led a reported US$44 million investment for a minority stake, representing the investor’s first investment in Turkey. Yemeksepeti reported 50,000 daily orders that year. During the 2010s, the business expanded outside Turkey through the Foodonclick.com brand in the United Arab Emirates and later in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Lebanon, and other markets. It also operated or expanded through local brands and services in Russia, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, and Jordan. Before its 2015 acquisition, the broader operation was reported to be active in ten countries. In May 2015, German online food-delivery group Delivery Hero acquired Yemeksepeti in what was described as one of the region’s largest internet acquisitions. Following the transaction, Yemeksepeti became part of Delivery Hero’s international platform portfolio. The company’s core model has developed beyond simply listing restaurants. Yemeksepeti Vale provides courier and delivery support for restaurants that do not ordinarily offer takeaway service, allowing those restaurants to participate without building a separate delivery operation. Yemeksepeti also launched Yemeksepeti Market in April 2019, extending the platform into online grocery and convenience shopping. The Market service was described as offering thousands of products with delivery in approximately 15 minutes in the cities where it operated. Another related property, Yemek.com, was established in 2014 as a food-content platform covering recipes, restaurants, and food trends, including branded recipe collaborations. Yemeksepeti has continued to operate as a major Turkish food-commerce platform. Reference material describes a nationwide footprint, a network of tens of thousands of member restaurants, millions of users, and hundreds of thousands of daily orders, although these figures vary by reporting date and should not be treated as a single current measurement. Nevzat Aydın transferred the chief executive role to Mert Baki on November 1, 2021. The company’s principal positioning is convenience: it aggregates restaurant supply, enables digital ordering, and uses platform-managed delivery in cases where restaurants need logistical support.

Yemeksepeti was founded in Turkey in 2001 by Nevzat Aydın, Melih Ödemiş, Cem Nufusi, and Gökhan Akan. Its original business was an online restaurant-ordering service, allowing customers to browse participating restaurants and place orders through a digital platform. The company’s early growth was reflected in its order volume: it reached 1,000 daily orders in 2004 and 10,000 in 2008. That same year, it completed its first investment round with the European Founders Fund. The company expanded its capital base and geographic ambitions during the following decade. In 2010, it entered the United Arab Emirates with Foodonclick.com, initially launching in Dubai and subsequently extending to Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. It also made an expansion into Russia through the izrestorana.co name. In 2012, General Atlantic led a reported US$44 million investment for a minority interest in Yemeksepeti. The investment was General Atlantic’s first in Turkey, and the platform’s daily orders were reported at 50,000 during the same year. Further expansion followed in the Middle East and Southeast Europe. Foodonclick.com was used in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Lebanon, while the company also expanded into Greece and operated in other regional markets including Jordan, Bulgaria, and Romania. Before its acquisition, the wider business was reported to have a presence in ten countries. This international phase established Yemeksepeti as a significant regional online food-ordering operator rather than solely a Turkish restaurant website. In May 2015, Delivery Hero acquired Yemeksepeti. The buyer was a German-based online food-delivery group, and the transaction was characterized in reference material as the largest internet acquisition in the region. After the acquisition, Yemeksepeti continued operating under its established name while becoming part of Delivery Hero’s wider corporate group. The Turkish platform subsequently broadened its service model. Yemek.com was created in September 2014 under Yemeksepeti’s infrastructure as a food-content destination focused on recipes, restaurants, and food trends. The site also supported branded recipe and content activity for companies such as Pepsi, Filiz, and Sütaş. In April 2019, Yemeksepeti introduced Yemeksepeti Market, an online grocery service offering thousands of products and rapid delivery in selected cities. The Market service was recognized in the 2020 Webrazzi Awards, placing second in online market ordering and third in the enterprise-of-the-year category. Yemeksepeti also developed Yemeksepeti Vale, a delivery service for restaurants that do not normally provide takeaway. By supplying courier capacity, the service enables participating restaurants to concentrate on food preparation rather than developing their own logistics operation. The main platform is accessible through desktop and mobile web as well as iPhone and Android applications. The company faced a major data-security controversy in March 2021 after disclosing that user data had been stolen. The disclosed information included phone numbers, email addresses, and delivery addresses. In early 2022, delivery workers protested and struck over pay, benefits, employment classification, union protections, and job security. Leadership also changed during this period of expansion and operational pressure: co-founder Nevzat Aydın handed the chief executive position to Mert Baki on November 1, 2021. Reference material describes Yemeksepeti as operating across Turkey, including a nationwide service footprint, while also identifying Northern Cyprus among its markets.

• 2022

  Delivery-worker protests

  [1]Yemeksepetien.wikipedia.org

  Delivery workers protest and strike over compensation, benefits, employment classification, union rights, and job security.

• 2021

  Data breach disclosed and CEO transition announced

  [1]Yemeksepetien.wikipedia.org

  Yemeksepeti reports a user-data breach in March, and Mert Baki takes over as chief executive from Nevzat Aydın on November 1.

• 2019

  Yemeksepeti Market launches

  [1]Yemeksepetien.wikipedia.org

  The company enters online grocery and convenience commerce with a rapid-delivery Market service.

• 2015

  Acquired by Delivery Hero

  [1]Yemeksepetien.wikipedia.org

  Delivery Hero acquires Yemeksepeti in May, bringing the Turkish platform into its international food-delivery group.

• 2014

  Yemek.com is established

  [1]Yemeksepetien.wikipedia.org

  The company launches a food-content property focused on recipes, restaurants, and food trends.

• 2012

  General Atlantic investment

  [1]Yemeksepetien.wikipedia.org

  General Atlantic leads a reported US$44 million minority investment, while daily orders reach 50,000.

• 2010

  Expansion into the United Arab Emirates and Russia

  [1]Yemeksepetien.wikipedia.org

  The company launches Foodonclick.com in the UAE and enters Russia under the izrestorana.co name.

• 2008

  Order volume reaches 10,000 per day

  [1]Yemeksepetien.wikipedia.org

  Yemeksepeti reports 10,000 daily orders and receives its first investment from the European Founders Fund.

• 2004

  First reaches 1,000 daily orders

  [1]Yemeksepetien.wikipedia.org

  The platform records 1,000 orders per day for the first time.

• 2001

  Yemeksepeti is founded

  [1]Yemeksepetien.wikipedia.org

  Nevzat Aydın, Melih Ödemiş, Cem Nufusi, and Gökhan Akan establish the Turkish online food-ordering company.

A broad Turkish food-commerce marketplace combining restaurant aggregation, digital ordering, and platform-supported delivery. Its value proposition centers on consumer convenience and access to restaurants that may not otherwise provide delivery.

• Online food ordering and delivery · 2001

  Yemeksepeti

  The core marketplace allows users to discover participating restaurants, review available menus, and submit food orders through the website, mobile web, and iPhone and Android applications. Its network includes independent restaurants and major chains across categories such as pizza, burgers, döner, kebab, desserts, and other prepared foods. The platform’s delivery model can involve restaurants’ own couriers or logistics supplied through Yemeksepeti services.

• Platform-managed restaurant delivery

  Yemeksepeti Vale

  Yemeksepeti Vale provides courier support for restaurants that do not ordinarily offer takeaway delivery. By operating the delivery layer, the service allows additional restaurants to accept online orders without making a separate investment in their own delivery infrastructure.

• Online grocery and convenience retail · 2019

  Yemeksepeti Market

  Launched in 2019, Yemeksepeti Market extends the platform from prepared food into grocery and convenience shopping. Reference material describes a selection of more than 4,000 products, rapid delivery of approximately 15 minutes, and operations in around 30 cities at the time described.

• Food content · 2014

  Yemek.com

  Yemek.com is a food-content service established under Yemeksepeti’s infrastructure. It brings together recipes, restaurant-related information, cooking guidance, and food-trend coverage. The property has also supported branded recipe and content collaborations.

• 2022

  Delivery-worker protests over labor conditions

  Delivery workers conducted protests and strikes between January and February, seeking higher net wages, premiums, benefits, transport-sector recognition, union protections, and assurances against dismissal for pursuing workplace rights.

  Source

• 2021

  User-data breach

  Yemeksepeti announced that a breach identified on March 25 had resulted in the theft of some user data, including telephone numbers, email addresses, and delivery addresses. The company said it had corrected the issue that enabled the incident.

  Source

Read more

• 2021

  Chief executive transitionOther

  Background

  Following two decades associated with the company, co-founder Nevzat Aydın stepped away from the chief executive role.

  Action taken

  Mert Baki assumed the CEO position on November 1, 2021.

  Aftermath

  The leadership change marked a transition from founder-led management to a new executive phase.

  Source

• 2019

  Launch of Yemeksepeti MarketProduct launch

  Background

  The company sought to extend its digital ordering and delivery capabilities beyond restaurant meals.

  Action taken

  Yemeksepeti introduced an online grocery and convenience-shopping service with rapid delivery.

  Aftermath

  The service expanded into multiple Turkish cities and received recognition in the 2020 Webrazzi Awards.

  Source

• 2015

  Sale to Delivery HeroM&A

  Background

  Yemeksepeti had become a leading Turkish and regional digital food-ordering platform following investment and international expansion.

  Action taken

  Delivery Hero acquired the company in May 2015.

  Aftermath

  Yemeksepeti became part of Delivery Hero’s international food-delivery group while retaining its local brand.

  Source

• 2010

  Expand into international food-ordering marketsStrategy

  Background

  After establishing its Turkish platform, Yemeksepeti pursued regional growth in the Middle East, Russia, and Southeast Europe.

  Action taken

  It launched or operated services under names including Foodonclick.com and izrestorana.co in multiple foreign markets.

  Aftermath

  Before the Delivery Hero acquisition, the wider operation was reported to have been active in ten countries.

  Source

• 2019

  Yemeksepeti launched Yemeksepeti Market[1]Yemeksepetien.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The company entered online grocery and convenience shopping with Yemeksepeti Market, initially offering rapid delivery and a broad product assortment in selected Turkish cities.

• 2015

  Delivery Hero acquired Yemeksepeti[1]Yemeksepetien.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Delivery Hero acquired the Turkish platform in May 2015, bringing Yemeksepeti into its international food-delivery group.

1. 1Yemeksepetien.wikipedia.org