She gave up on America, opened a coffee shop in Izmir

After graduating from university, Dilara Aldemir(27), who refused job offers and went to live with her musician brother in America, started her career as a waitress in New York, then returned to Izmir and started her business. Dilara Aldemir, a graduate of Izmir University of Economics (IUE), who developed herself and learned the details of the business while she was working, opened the branch of the foreign based "Good for You" brand in Alsancak. Stating that she dreamed of having her own business since her youth, Aldemir said, “When I said that I would open a coffee shop during the pandemic period, there were those who said, "It is too risky to start a business in the pandemic, are you crazy?" But thinking that waiting would disadvantage me, I wanted to start work as soon as possible. I am very happy in my little coffee shop; I think I made the right decision.”

Dilara Aldemir, who lives in Bornova, Izmir, graduated from IUE Department of Business Administration in 2018. Aldemir, who also performed internships in various companies during her studies, preferred to go abroad instead of getting a job in Izmir and went to the United States of America (USA). Aldemir, who stayed with her brother, working as a musician, for about 2 years, gained experience in many jobs during this time, and worked as a waitress in a cafe. Feeling homesick over time, Aldemir returned to Izmir with the dream of starting her own business. Deciding to start a business by opening a coffee shop despite the difficult pandemic conditions, Aldemir opened the branch of the “Good for You” brand, which she saw on social media.

MY SHOP IS SMALL BUT MY DREAMS ARE BIG

Aldemir, who also prepares the coffees herself in her shop in Mimar Sinan District, Alsancak, said, “I think one should work not only to earn money, but also to be happy, to enjoy self. Since I was young, I wanted to do my own thing, rather than work somewhere. I wanted a system of my own even though it was not very grandiose. I have already studied business administration at the university to accomplish this. Going to the USA has contributed a lot to me. I met many people there, most importantly, I understood and experienced myself. New York is a delightful, remarkable, world brand city. However, I still wanted to return to Izmir. There were those who said to me, ‘How can you leave New York?’ or ‘Are you crazy to start a business in pandemic period?’. I listened to my inner voice. Good thing I listened. My shop is small, I come in the morning and prepare the coffees. It is like a boutique neighborhood coffee shop. But this place makes me happy and was the first step to my big dreams.”

I AM HAPPY IN MY SHOP  

Aldemir continued as follows: “We serve Turkish coffee, filter coffee and healthy snacks at the shop. We also serve fruit balls and cookies. Our filter coffee is pure Colombian coffee. It has a specific aroma with a cocoa, caramel, and earthy scent. I think the coffee is very tasty. I started telling my story by having my coffee tasted to all the institutions I was related to in the past. We have customers who visit the shop in the morning or take their coffee before going to work. I get to know different people every day. Maybe I do not have a lively life like in New York, but I am happy in my coffee shop. I am new, I started the journey with a small step, but my goal is to open new branches in different regions of Izmir in the coming years.”