Elif Turkish Restaurant to open in Yarm’s former Lebaneat
Elif Turkish Restaurant, which has been operating in Norton since late 2023, will soon bring its “mouthwatering kebabs and rich baklava” to the town at a new venue.
Run by Lyndsey and Hasan Gergin, from Durham, and Ersin and Fiona Surucu, from Bishop Auckland, the restaurant is taking over the recently closed Lebaneat, which shut earlier this month after almost six years.
Revamp works are now underway on the venue, with new signs recently being put in the windows of the restaurant teasing that Elif is on the way.
Lyndsey, 43, said the two couples were excited to open their latest venture in Yarm: “The business in Norton has been going from strength to strength.
“We had been thinking about expanding but couldn’t over in Norton. We have always been thinking where we would go and by luck, the Lebaneat lease was put up for sale.
“Within a week it was signed and the deed was done!”
Lyndsey, who also runs the Treats Cafe & Tea Room and Riverview Kitchen in Durham with Hasan, 34, said they are hoping to open in March, with an exact date yet to be decided.
She continued: “Yarm is such a busy high street, it has a good nightlife and is really well thought of. And this is something different to the high street too.
“Elif Norton was the only Turkish restaurant around and we do have customers coming from Yarm. The new restaurant will have the exact same menu and the same quality as Norton.
“We are carrying out a refurb and are investing a lot of money into the site. We are going to be here practically every day – and are very excited!”
There are even plans to apply to Stockton Council to have tables outside, similar to Lebaneat: “It would be nice in summer to have a glass of wine and a meze outside!”
Elif serves up a range of Turkish food, including cold and hot meze, grilled kebabs, seafood, moussaka, lamb chops, and more.
The Norton restaurant has a strong 4.9 stars out of 5 on Google Reviews too, with customers praising the “beautiful food” and “amazing” quality.
One person said: “Absolutely fantastic food. The lunch menu is great value. The baklava is out of this world – fresh, homemade, and authentic. Really enjoyed and will keep returning.”
Bosses say Elif Norton is continuing to grow in popularity – and recently opened for lunch.
Lyndsey continued: “Sometimes it is actually difficult to get people in and we have to turn people away – so many people want to come!”
As previously reported, Lebaneat, which currently operates two sites in Durham and one in York, confirmed it was closing in the former Lloyds Bank earlier this month.
Bosses said both pricing and market conditions were the reason behind the sudden closure, with a spokesperson saying they had decided to place more focus on its main branches.
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A spokesperson said: “We have now moved to Durham and closed Yarm for good.
“We are just trying to have more control, with the market and prices, so we decided to focus on the main branches.
“If anyone wants to go to Lebaneat, we still have two sites in Durham and one in York.”