Queues at İstanbul’s affordable ‘canteens’ get longer as living costs rise

As the economic crisis in Turkey deepens, discussions about the minimum wage and pensions continue. In these challenging times, food expenses have become a significant issue for workers, retirees, and students.

With the cost of eating out ranging from 200 to 500 liras, many either bring meals from home or skip eating out altogether. However, İstanbul offers an alternative with its 14 City Canteens (Kent Lokantası).

To experience this, we visited the Kent Lokantası in Sultanahmet, a popular tourist spot where the seventh canteen opened in February 2023.

The others are located in Arnavutköy, Avcılar, Bağcılar, Çapa, Çatalca, Hisarüstü, Küçükçekmece, Pendik, Sultanahmet, Sultanbeyli, Sultangazi, Tuzla, Ümraniye, and Üsküdar.

As we were looking for the Kent Lokantası in Sultanahmet, we noticed a long line forming down the street. Regular patrons begin queuing around 11 am, despite the canteen opening at noon.

Our first question upon joining the line was whether there would be enough food for everyone. The people assured us there would be.

‘We would have starved without this place’

The line moved quickly, and we learned it would take about 30 minutes to get served. We began chatting with others in line, asking, “How’s the food?” “Do you come here every day?” “Where are you from?”

One civil servant, who eats lunch at the canteen daily, said, and walks here from the Beyazıt quarter, which is more than one kilometer away. “You can’t find this meal for 40 liras elsewhere. If I ate out, I’d run out of money by mid-month. Without this place, we’d go hungry by then.” 

He added that he walks instead of using his transportation card, which would increase the cost of the meal by another 30 liras.

Before the line grew longer, we took our place. The retirees ahead of us were discussing the menu, and we discovered it was a lucky day with beef döner on offer. They follow the canteen’s menu updates on social media.

When there is beef on the menu, the canteen becomes even more crowded, says one citizen. “Meals here are great and hygienic. For 40 liras, you get a full meal. Outside, a bowl of soup costs 100 liras. The growing line shows that poverty is spreading,” he says.

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Another regular, a 40-year veteran of the Grand Bazaar, mentioned that he started coming to the canteen daily a month ago after his wife saw it online. Due to a leg injury, he moved ahead to wait at a nearby bench.

Behind us, people were discussing the day’s dessert. While the menu is posted on social media, the dessert isn’t. Desserts cost an additional 14 liras. We joined the conversation out of curiosity.

A goldsmith from Çemberlitaş noted, “I come here daily. This meal would cost 500 liras elsewhere. How can someone on minimum wage afford that every day? This initiative by Ekrem İmamoğlu is excellent, but it’s a temporary fix. Turkey isn’t just İstanbul. Don’t they see how people are struggling?”

‘Just a photo of this queue is enough’

Another person chimed in, “They see our struggles but do nothing. Just showing a photo of this queue is enough to make the point. No further words are needed.”

As we joined the queue, it took about 30 minutes to reach the front. Our menu included lentil soup, beef döner, rice, ayran, water, bread, and kadayıf dessert. When it was our turn, we were astonished to pay just 54 lira for all this. Inside, everyone ate quickly to keep the line moving, and we did the same, but the generous portions made it hard to finish quickly.

Comparing prices, we found that similar meals in nearby eateries started at 200 liras, and main dishes cost around 500 liras.

When we left, the line had not diminished; in fact, it had grown. While waiting to speak with the canteen staff, we checked the prices of nearby restaurants. Locals were right; you couldn’t get a similar meal for less than 200 lira elsewhere. Due to the tourist influx, main dishes at nearby places started at 500 lira.

‘Tourists join the queue and eat too’

Returning to the canteen two hours later, the queue was still there. An employee from the hotel opposite said, "Since it opened, it's always been this crowded. People start coming at 11 am and continue until 5 pm. About 80% of tourists ask what the queue is for, and some even join it."

While chatting, a canteen employee informed us that the food would only last for part of the line and asked people to wait accordingly, but many continued to wait despite the warning. When the announcement came that the food was finished, the line dispersed, allowing us to talk to the staff.

'Equal food for everyone'

One of the first female employees, a cook, explained the food preparation process: "The food arrives ready by 10.30 am. We heat it here and start serving at noon, continuing until the food runs out, usually by 4.30 pm. On days we serve döner, it runs out faster. We don't look at who is coming; we serve everyone equally."

The cook mentioned that all 10 employees are women and they received hygiene training before starting work.

During our visit to Kent Lokantası, we saw people from all walks of life—police officers, civil servants, construction workers, security guards, retirees, and students. The common thread among them all is the struggle to make ends meet. (AD/NÖ/VK)