|
|
|
 |
| Divan's Ilker Ugur, with sister Fulya Ugur |
| Photo | Michael T. Regan |
Kebab eaters were chattering in mid-August when this Craigslist post surfaced, offering G-Ho's Divan Turkish Kitchen for a cool $1.4 million. Divan co-owner Ilker Ugur confirmed that he was searching for a buyer to either take over the restaurant outright or join him in a 50-50 venture by buying out current business partner Isil Ozturk. (Ugur has said publicly that he and Ozturk do not see eye to eye.)
Yesterday, we received an e-mail from Ugur that caught our attention, if only for its outright use of the "S-Word": Starr. "[Stephen] Starr's people are interested in being partners with me," the message read. "They may buy out my partner and continue Divan Turkish Kitchen with his signature."
Attention fully piqued, we requested more details. According to Ugur, a lawyer friend of his has connections within the Starr Restaurant Group (SRG), and has brought an identical deal — either 100 percent ownership or half-and-half partnership — to the restaurateur's table. "I am open to either choice they will make, but I would like to keep 50 percent of it with Starr," Ugur wrote to us.
So this is all happening, right?! Stephen Starr at 22nd and Carpenter? Mashed eggplant martinis and all that?
Pump the brakes. Reached for comment on his cell phone, Starr denied knowledge of the potential deal with Divan. "I've never spoken to him," the restaurateur says of Ugur.
Tapped for a response, Ugur says he thinks Starr has not been made aware of the deal yet — the Turk's purported connection with SRG just presented the idea three days ago. "[My lawyer friend] knew that I want to sell half of my business because of not getting along with my partner," Ugur says. "He happened to know people who know Stephen Starr, so [he offered] to get in touch with them. He has spoken to [SRG]."
"I'm hoping that [Starr] is going to be interested," he adds.
OK, so it was a bit premature on Divan's part — there's a very real chance that Starr and Co. will have no interest in the deal whatsoever. But it's interesting to think about — Starr reaching into the fringier residential neighborhoods of Philadelphia for projects — especially considering his recent acquisition of the Broad Street "A Place for Ribs" Diner.
We'll have more details if this develops. And if it does, the first round of mashed eggplant martinis are on us.
- barstool scientist
- Booze
- Brew Revue
- Chef Salad
- Closings
- Coffee
- Contests
- Dealage
- Dirty Dishes
- Don't Front
- Eat This Immediately
- Field Trip
- Food and Art
- Food and Holidays
- Food and Movies
- Food and Music
- Food and Politics
- Food and Sports
- Food and Web
- Food Blogs
- Food Books
- Food Events
- Food News
- Food TV
- Gifted
- Happy Hour Hopper
- How-To
- In Print
- Interview
- Meal Ticket
- Menu Time
- Not So Quickfire
- Notes from the Weekend
- On Wheels
- Openings
- Patio Drinking
- Philly Beer Week 2010
- Photos
- Private Chef POV
- Product Placement
- Recipes
- Snack Time
- Stiff Drank
- SUPPER
- Tea
- Testing
- Ticket Stubs
- Top Chef
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Video
- Weekly Candy
- Weird Regional Foods
- We're Here to Help
- Where'd We Eat?
- Drew Lazor's Ill-Advised Rant Factory
- Pregame
- Ill-Advised Ranting
- The Week Without Meat
- Philly Beer Week 2009
- Real Big
- Where'd I Eat Last Night?
- Top Chef Masters
- The Good Word
- Next Iron Chef
- Arterial Terrorism
- Food and Radio
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
