Hamit and Didem set up Bonnyfood, an internet-based retail company selling “edible flowers”, in October 2008 in Istanbul. Since then, the company has grown to become a popular brand offering fresh and premium fruit bouquets for special occasions – like birthdays, anniversaries and business events. Before setting up Bonnyfood, Hamit and Didem occupied various roles in the technology, internet and banking sectors and also managed a number of different e-business companies. They always had a real passion for giving special gifts and as Didem’s favourite hobby was cooking, it seemed logical that they would one day start a special food service. When Hamit and Didem approached banks for financing their idea, they encountered difficulties given the type of market and size of their business. The idea of selling a new type of product from an e-commerce platform was a concept many banks could not understand but Finansbank was different. They received a loan, and six months later, it is clear that Bonnyfood is not only doing well but even continuing to grow. Bonnyfood is expanding its services across the eastern parts of Türkiye. It is planning to increase its franchise network to at least 40 new outlets in the next two years and is endeavouring to enter the Russian and European franchise markets.
Company: Bonny food, Istanbul
Type of business: Retail Company
EU-guaranteed loan from Finansbank: EUR 250,000
For further information about EIF intermediaries in Türkiye, please refer to:
http://www.eif.org/what_we_do/where/tr