Hello!
I’m Melis Sebnem Sukan.
Ever since I was a kid, my biggest curiosity is traveling to see new places and eating good food.
I was born in Istanbul, for me the most beautiful city on earth. After studying at the Österreichisches St. Georgs-Kolleg Istanbul, I graduated from the Department of Business Administration at Koç University. I started working at the Vienna Touristic Enterprises-Cafe Wien, which is my family business. During a 17-year period, I worked at all stages of a small-scale food and beverage business, leaving the company with a manager buyout in 2016 to have more time for my family and myself. I am married, with two children.
After the family business, I worked as an instructor at a private university in the Department of Gastronomy and Hotel Management for four semesters. In coordination with Le Cordon Bleu, I was in charge of the restaurant in the university, running it together with the students as an applied course. Today, I continue teaching gastronomy courses in universities.
Also, I provide advisory services to F&B companies from startups to existing ones on various topics ranging from setup to implementation of improvement strategies.
I completed “Trends,Innovations,,and New Business Models” program in EHL, Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne in 2021 and continued my studies to obtain the masters degree in Gastronomy to contribute to my journey in the industry and to keep myslef updated with contemporary knowledge & new skills.
I have finished my master’s thesis on “Investigation of the Factors and Strategies that Lead Selected Istanbul Restaurants to Sustainable Success”. I hope that the outcomes of my study will serve as a guide to chefs and entrepreneurs who wish to invest and succeed in the hospitality industry.
I am a life time learner, passionate about meeting food enthusiasts and explore new business models from all around the world. I am a frequent contributor to various renowned magazines and publications on food and travel. I like sharing my travel and food & beverage experiences on my Instagram account and blog with the same name @letsgosebnem.
I would be more than happy to inspire enthusiasts like me!
Love,
Sebnem Sukan
