AFTER INTRODUCING THE SQUARE PIZZA TO AMERICANS, CHAMPION TO ENTER TURKEY

Hakki Akdeniz, which made Americans love square pizza and received many awards for his charity work, is bringing his Champion pizza brand to Turkey at the end of the year. Akdeniz, who postponed his restaurant investments in Turkey for a year due to the pandemic, plans to use the franchise model in the country with an aim to reach 250 branches. Akdeniz, who had to stay homeless and sleep on the streets in the first years when he went to the U.S. in 2001, has garnered praise for his charity work. Akdeniz said there is a high interest in his square-shaped pizzas in the USA. Akdeniz currently operates 16 restaurants, 7 of which are Champion Pizza. The brand is planning to enter the Turkish market with a concept different from the U.S. “We will open the first branch of Champion Pizza in Turkey in Istanbul,” he said.