Business Spotlight: IstanBloom Mediterranean Restaurant

For Selim Akyuz, the food of his native Turkey has had a profound impact on his life.

Ever since he began working as a server as a teenager, Akyuz knew he belonged in the culinary field. He also knew he wanted to open his own restaurant one day, with the goal of spreading the culture he loves so much through cuisine.

That motivation inspired Pasha, a hip and successful Mediterranean restaurant in the heart of Shadyside, co-owned by Akyuz and his cousin. Pasha’s success got the duo thinking about the prospect of expanding.

“We felt like it was time, since we had one restaurant established, fully employed, so we had enough time for a second restaurant,” Akyuz said. “We’re young, we want to work, and we want to make money.”

As a next step, Akyuz met with his accountant to develop a plan for the new restaurant. During those discussions, his accountant suggested reaching out to Neighborhood Community Development Fund for help with financial aid.

Akyuz quickly contacted loan officer Stefani Smith, who helped guide him through the process of applying for assistance. With an assist from Smith, Akyuz was able to secure enough funding to cover all the initial costs of opening his new restaurant.

“Stefani was always very helpful and very nice,” he said. “Whenever I had a question, she got back to me quickly.”

With his finances now in order, Akyuz found a space along Penn Avenue in Bloomfield, and IstanBloom Mediterranean Restaurant was born. Fans of Pasha are sure to love IstanBloom as well, as the new spot carries many of the same flavors as its Shadyside counterpart, packaged into a variety of different dishes.

So far, IstanBloom has been a neighborhood hit, with the hopes of reaching new heights in the future.

“I haven’t yet had a customer that was unhappy with the food or the environment,” Akyuz said. “We’re happy to be in the neighborhood, and people have welcomed us so nicely. We’re filling a niche in the area.”