The man who built the unshakable walls upon the solid foundations laid by “grandfather” Mehmet Akdağ is “son” Hakkı Akdağ — known to most as Hakkı Baba or Hakkı Amca. The son of 7 Mehmet, the father of “grandson” Mehmet, and a master whose name is inseparable from the memory of 7 Mehmet Restaurant, Hakkı Akdağ’s story began to be written at a very young age. His first job at the restaurant came while he was still in the first grade: before classes began, he would cross the street from his school early in the morning and tend the wood fire that never went out, so it would be ready by around eight o’clock for the masters arriving at the kitchen. Mehmet continues the story:
“Although my father was only nine or ten years old, he was already talented in the kitchen. My grandfather also wanted the local tradesmen of Antalya to recognise him. He slowly began to plan how to make that happen. One day, my grandfather and my father went to the bakery by car. My grandfather deliberately stayed in the car and sent my father inside, instructing him: ‘Go in and say: Hello, I am Hakkı, son of 7 Mehmet. I would like to buy a loaf of bread. Here is the money.’ My father complained, saying, ‘Father, if I were just buying bread, I’d go in, pay and leave anyway.’ This time, my grandfather sent him to the pharmacy to buy aspirin. Again my father objected: ‘Father, there’s no good or bad aspirin — it’s just one medicine. What difference does it make if I say my name? They’re not going to give me a better one!’ Without listening to him, my grandfather began sending my father one by one to the tradesmen he worked with around Antalya. Each time, my father did exactly as he was told: he introduced himself, said he was the son of 7 Mehmet, paid for the item and left. This continued for quite some time, until all the tradesmen had memorised him. Years passed, my father went to the army and returned, and as my grandfather grew older he began to step back from daily work. One day, my grandfather had a matter to resolve at the medical faculty but could not get anywhere. When my father heard this, he said to him, ‘Father, find the rector and tell him you are the father of Hakkı from 7 Mehmet — your issue will be resolved immediately.’ My grandfather cursed him soundly, but my father loved the situation. He would later laugh and tell us this story, saying, ‘I finally got my revenge after all those years.’ And indeed, my grandfather managed to solve his issue using my father’s name.
My grandfather never let my father out of his sight. Even when he was ill, he would place him at the foot of his bed, calling out, ‘Hakkı… Hakkı…!’ As a result, they shared a very particular closeness. At the same time, my grandfather paid special attention to my father’s education in both social and professional life. He saw every day, every event, as an opportunity for training. From where to stand in the marketplace next to the porter — ‘you need to stand behind him so no one walks off with the goods,’ Mehmet adds with a smile — to putting my father to work in place of a dishwasher who had run off, every incident was in fact a kind of preparation for standing on his own one day. In this way, my father experienced, absorbed and internalised every part of the business: from the kitchen to the dishwashing area, from security at the door to service in the dining room.
One of the stories Mehmet tells with particular delight is this: “After my father returned from the army, the people of Antalya pressured him heavily, trying to persuade him to turn 7 Mehmet into a nightclub or a restaurant with live music. One day, my father arranged for a group of musicians and instructed them to play the songs my grandfather loved. When my grandfather arrived at the restaurant, the band began playing his favourite tunes. He was not pleased at all — he stopped the music and scolded the entire group harshly. My father later said, ‘I thought, if he treated them like that, he would definitely kill me.’ My grandfather sat my father down and asked him: ‘If the waiter runs away, can you serve? — Yes, father! If the dishwasher runs away, can you wash dishes? — Yes, father! If the cook runs away, can you cook? — Yes, father! Then when you learn to play a musical instrument, and when you learn to sing, only then may you have music in this restaurant. Do not introduce into your establishment something you cannot do yourself when you are forced to.’ Thanks to this advice, 7 Mehmet Restaurant continues its journey today as a place known solely for the food it serves.”