13.05.2026 17:21
Yemeksepeti revealed Turkey's 25-year flavor archive. Among the top 10 most preferred products of all time, lahmacun took the first place.
Yemeksepeti, which pioneered the online food ordering category in Turkey, shared data from its archive of over 1.7 billion orders with the public as it celebrates its 25th anniversary. Alongside the transformation from the fax era in 2001 to today's AI investments, many striking data points were shared, from a user who ordered for 703 consecutive days to a giant cart of 400 items.
Starting in January 2001 in a single city with a handful of restaurants, Yemeksepeti now sits at the center of a vast ecosystem with over 135,000 business partners across all 81 provinces. Over the past 25 years, the platform has served 37.6 million users, building a large digital archive.
9 OUT OF EVERY 10 ORDERS ARE PLACED VIA THE MOBILE APP
Yemeksepeti's story began in an era when the internet was not yet widespread in Turkey, with orders sent to restaurants via fax. In 2014, 64% of orders came through the web, whereas today, 9 out of every 10 orders are placed via the mobile app. The platform pioneered the "quick commerce" category in Turkey with the launch of Yemeksepeti Market in 2019 and Yemeksepeti Mahalle in 2021. Today, even a single grocery store in a district of Ardahan is integrated into the digital world using Yemeksepeti's infrastructure.
HIGHLIGHTED PREFERENCES AND RECORDS OVER 25 YEARS
The data shared at the press conference held at Ortaköy Feriye revealed Turkey's palate preferences and extraordinary user habits over the last 25 years. Topping the list over the quarter-century with a total of 141 million units was lahmacun, followed by ayran (buttermilk) with 69 million units and cola with 51 million units. The largest order in platform history was a massive basket containing 200 lahmacun and 100 soups, totaling 400 items.
A USER ORDERED FOR 703 CONSECUTIVE DAYS
Loyalty and exploration also stood out in user habits; one user set the longest streak record by ordering every day for 703 days without a break, while another food enthusiast tried 418 different restaurants in just one year. On the quick commerce side, tonnages reached remarkable levels; to date, 1,361 tons of bananas and 1,285 tons of cucumbers have been delivered to tables via Yemeksepeti Market and Mahalle, while in the morning hours, 2.7 million simit (Turkish bagels) were ordered, and after midnight, 642 thousand liters of cola.
CITIES' FLAVOR SIGNATURES
Yemeksepeti data shows distinct city differences in ordering preferences. Boyoz in Izmir, etli ekmek (meat bread) in Konya, and chicken döner wrap in Gaziantep ranked first in their respective categories. The 25-year archive reveals that local cuisine preferences are strongly maintained even through digital ordering channels.
TURKEY'S FLAVOR PLATE
Over 25 years, Yemeksepeti has recorded what Turkey ate, when it ate, and where it ate. This archive now tells us the country's culinary history.
The all-time most ordered items are as follows:
- Lahmacun
- Ayran
- Cola
- Ranch Dressing
- Chicken Döner Wrap
- Adana Kebab Wrap
- Lentil Soup
- Water
- French Fries
- Çiğ Köfte Wrap
DÖNER MOVED UP, PIZZA DECLINED
According to the comparison of cuisine categories; pizza was in third place between 2014 and 2020, while döner was in sixth. In the 2021-2025 period, döner rose to third place, and pizza fell to fourth. Kebab and Turkish cuisine maintained their leadership in both periods.
MOST POPULAR ORDER NOTES
The order notes left by users to restaurants have formed recurring patterns over 25 years. Phrases like "no pickles," "serve hot," and "with extra sauce, please" are among the most repeated and cult order notes in platform history. These notes provide concrete data on what users prioritize when ordering. Additionally, users strengthened this digital bond by thanking couriers for their effort 17.3 million times through the online tipping system.
LEGENDARY RESTAURANTS
In Yemeksepeti's 25-year history, business partners who joined the system early and remain active today stand out. There are 24 "legendary restaurants" that joined the system between 2001 and 2005 and are still actively serving today. 17 of these restaurants are in Istanbul, and 4 are in Sivas. Sivas is the city with the highest number of restaurants on the list outside of Istanbul. The number of users who registered in the first five years and still actively use the platform today stands out as 21,723.
"OUR FOCUS IS ON AI INVESTMENTS"
Yemeksepeti CEO Oytun Çalapöver shared the brand's 25-year legacy and future plans in his speech at the meeting:
“Yemeksepeti started its journey 25 years ago with a small team in a small apartment. Our goal back then was to create the food ordering category within Turkey's nascent online commerce. Considering where we are today, we see that the order data of over 1.7 billion is valuable not only for us but also for understanding Turkey's consumption habits. Working with 135,000 business partners across all 81 provinces, from a grocery store in Ardahan to large restaurant chains in Istanbul, truly represents a vast ecosystem.
In the coming period, our focus will be on AI investments that will make life easier for our users and business partners. We are working on voice commands, visual search, and personalized recommendation systems. Our goal is to be a platform that can quickly deliver the right solution when a user needs it. We want Yemeksepeti to remain at the center of Turkey's daily ordering habits in the years to come.”