Turkish restaurant owners open cafe in Sarasota's Gulf Gate

A new coffee shop has opened in Gulf Gate. Café Divan sells coffee, tea, desserts, smoothies and sandwiches. Its sign on Superior Avenue advertises its name and promises "a blend of cultures" inside.

Ugur Sariyar, who owns the Turkish restaurant Divan across the street with his wife, partnered with his brother-in-law in the new business, according to Amina Schnebelt, who works at Café Divan. The owners’ mothers have been baking some of the items on the menu such as Moroccan cookies, she says, while Sariyar’s wife handles daily operations.

Photo by Elizabeth King