Transition to the Restaurant in Atatürk Park

From the fish market to Yayla Palas, then to the seaside restaurant, it would be impossible not to mention the story of the move to what most people know as the final location of 7 Mehmet Restaurant: its carefully designed building within Atatürk Park. Mehmet recounts this relocation process, which he personally witnessed at the time:

“Özcan Kırmızıoğlu was one of the most important architects in Antalya in his day. He was a significant figure with architectural works serving different disciplines, such as the Talya Hotel, Döner Gazino, and mosque projects with distinctive designs that he brought to Antalya. My father approached him, explaining that the location of our current premises could be leased from the municipality, and requested that a building be designed there, depending on the available means. Without any written contract, they agreed on the project purely verbally. My father made only one request of him: that he personally plan the kitchen… Before starting the design work, Uncle Özcan asked for a table, a chair, rakı, and food on the side of the premises facing the park today. For about a week, he sat alone at that table in the completely empty park, watching his surroundings. From what I observed, he listened to the wind, watched the sun, studied the way sunlight affected Antalya as it rose and set, and examined the natural features. I even remember him occasionally turning his table to different positions. With the mindset of youth at the time, I had asked my father, ‘Are we being taken advantage of?’ It felt as though he was being constantly served, yet no progress was being made. At the end of one week, he stood up from the table and drew every part of our current premises in the finest detail, except for the kitchen. After a construction period of about eight months, we moved here from the old location in Konyaaltı. In the meantime, my father also gained his large kitchen, complete with a spacious storage area, separate cold and hot preparation sections, separate cooking stations, and a large grill.”