Building More Than a Restaurant: Hasan Demir on 26 Years of Community, Culture and Turkish Cuisine in Hampstead
W hen Hasan Demir arrived in Britain from Türkiye in 1986, he had no plans to become a restaurateur. Like many immigrants of his generation, he was simply looking for work and a future. The restaurant came later—and almost by accident. More than two decades on, Zara Restaurant has become one of Hampstead’s enduring neighbourhood…