Once seen as a hobby like venture, what began with the acquisition of Kiva has evolved into a hospitality ‘dream’ realized. In just 13 years, D.ream (Doğuş Restaurant Entertainment and Management) has become one of the most influential players in Türkiye’s dining scene.
At the start, the idea of building strong restaurant brands in a country as gastronomically rich as Türkiye seemed almost impossible. But D.ream’s early acquisitions opened the door to professionalized, scalable brand management, transforming a fragmented sector into a data-driven, corporate ecosystem.
A Data Revolution Behind the Dining Experience
While much of D.ream’s success is attributed to its field teams and creative chefs, a quiet revolution was taking place in the back office. Chief Experience & Marketing Officer Binnaz Uludağ Yiş, who joined the group after a career at Amazon, D.ream embraced data-driven marketing as its core philosophy.
Eryiğit Umur, who took over as CEO after serving in senior management positions at Doğuş Group for over twenty years, brought the company's retail, hotel and restaurant operations under one roof, in line with Ferit Şahenk's vision. Together, the leadership built one of the region’s most sophisticated CRM systems, spanning 25 brands and integrating not only purchase data but also social media behavior creating what the company calls an “end-to-end digital journey” for every guest.
What began as a group known for acquiring brands has become a powerhouse of brand creation. Take Lacivert, which underwent a complete conceptual reinvention to become one of Istanbul’s most sought after date night spots. Or Biz İstanbul, a homegrown concept built from scratch that quickly became a city classic thanks to smart use of digital insights and design.
The latest success, Seoul Kitchen, represents D.ream’s ability to translate cultural storytelling into scalable brand value. With its immersive South Korean aesthetic, it stands as the group’s first concept with genuine global franchise potential.
Global Partnerships and Ambitions
D.ream’s domestic success mirrors its global partnerships. Before its acquisition, Madrid’s single-location restaurant Amazonico was a local sensation; today, it’s a worldwide name with outposts in major capitals. Similarly, Zuma’s rise as one of the world’s most talked-about contemporary dining brands owes much to D.ream’s strategic alliance with the Azumi Group.
Tech Meets Taste: The Birth of D-People
The group’s next big leap is digital. Under Binnaz Uludağ Yiş’s leadership, D.ream’s marketing team specialists in what’s known as MarTech is developing an advanced loyalty ecosystem dubbed “D-People.”
More than a rewards program, D-People will function as a hybrid of concierge and lifestyle platform, designed to map every step of the guest journey for the world’s highest-spending clientele. While details remain under wraps, insiders suggest it could evolve into one of the most sophisticated loyalty experiences in global hospitality.
The Global Context: LVMH and the New Luxury Playbook
If there’s a benchmark for D.ream’s ambition, it’s LVMH. The French luxury giant’s expansion into hospitality through Cheval Blanc and Belmond helped boost its revenue share from 3 percent in 2018 to 9 percent in 2023, a diversification that played a key role in making CEO Bernard Arnault the world’s richest man in 2022.
The parallels are striking. What once began as an accessory to fashion or retail is now a strategic ecosystem. According to Deloitte’s Luxury Hospitality Report, investments by luxury fashion and jewelry brands in hotels and restaurants are growing by 11 percent annually, a reflection of the global shift from “product consumption” to “experience-driven living.”
Examples abound: Prada’s Marchesi 1824 patisseries, Gucci Osteria, Louis Vuitton’s restaurant in Saint-Tropez and Dior Spa Cheval Blanc all demonstrate how brands are transforming their physical spaces into emotional, data-enhanced experiences.
A 2024 McKinsey Luxury Report projects that the luxury dining and hospitality segment will reach $300 billion by 2030, with one-third of that growth driven by fashion-origin brands. The formula for luxury is changing; it’s no longer about selling objects, but lifestyles. In this new paradigm, data, desire and experience merge seamlessly.
Orkun Bulut, a digital nomad
