Mikel Coffee closes Başakşehir branch

Mikel Coffee Türkiye has announced that it has ended all business ties with the franchisee operating its Başakşehir branch after a promotional video for the outlet sparked a backlash on social media. The company said the content had been produced without its knowledge and confirmed that the branch had closed. For the franchise community, the incident raises questions about how local promotions are published under a brand’s name and how responsibility for communications is shared.

From promotional video to closure announcement

According to a report published by Onedio on 14 October 2026, a promotional video for the Mikel Coffee branch opposite a female student residence housing around 5,000 people in Başakşehir, Istanbul, prompted controversy on social media. The video described the branch as “Başakşehir’s new place to see and be seen”, placing particular emphasis on the location of the female student residence.

The report said users reacting to the post called on Başakşehir Municipality and the relevant authorities to act. The backlash centred on the prominence given to the female student residence in a promotion describing the coffee shop’s location. A local advertisement for a single branch thus became an issue requiring a statement from the brand’s Turkish operation.

The closure was announced alongside the company’s decision to end its business relationship with the franchisee. The report also stated that the branch’s signage had been removed. It is important to distinguish between the calls for municipal action and the decision announced by the company: the reported closure announcement came from Mikel Coffee Türkiye. Users calling on public authorities to act should not, in itself, be interpreted as evidence of an administrative sanction.

Company says it was unaware of the content

In a statement headed “Public Announcement”, published through its official channels, Mikel Coffee Türkiye said the content relating to the Başakşehir branch had been produced without its knowledge. The company also said the video had been created using artificial intelligence. These details about how the content was produced and head office’s lack of awareness are based on the company’s statement.

The company said it had carefully assessed the matter and decided to end all business ties with the franchisee operating the branch. Its statement also confirmed that the outlet had closed as of the announcement date. This went beyond removing the video or changing the promotional wording: it involved terminating the business relationship with the franchisee.

The company also reserved its legal rights in relation to misleading posts that could damage the brand’s reputation. Reserving legal rights is not the same as filing a lawsuit or obtaining a court ruling. The legal implications of the announcement should therefore be assessed only within the limits of what the company has publicly stated.

The importance of local communications in franchising

For the franchise community, a key feature of the Başakşehir case is that the controversial content concerned a franchised outlet. The company’s announcement likewise focused directly on its business relationship with that branch’s franchisee. The scope of the report is therefore limited to the decision announced about this particular outlet and franchisee; it should not be interpreted as a wider decision affecting the brand’s entire franchise network.

The practical question raised by the incident is what checks a promotion prepared on behalf of a branch should undergo. Head office’s statement that it was unaware of the content highlights the importance of approval processes for communications through local accounts. A useful approach for franchise businesses is to define clearly who has authority to create, approve and publish content.

The use of artificial intelligence should be considered in the same context. The company’s reference to AI provides information about how the promotion was produced, but communications oversight should not be reduced to a question of technology alone. Who a promotion targets, how it portrays nearby people or institutions, and what message it conveys on behalf of the brand all need to be assessed before publication.

This is not an assessment of Mikel Coffee’s existing internal procedures. Rather, it is a framework that franchise investors can use when reviewing their own communications arrangements in light of the decision announced in Başakşehir. In promotions focused on location, it is particularly important to ask whether a nearby institution is being used simply as a landmark or placed at the centre of the advertising message.

Practical checks for investors

A practical first step for franchise businesses is to clarify who has access to branch accounts and who is authorised to approve posts. The same approval process should apply whether content is created by an agency, an employee or the franchisee. AI-generated images and videos should not be exempt from these checks.

A second step is to establish in advance how head office and the branch will communicate if a post attracts criticism. A clear process can set out who will issue a statement, how the content will be assessed and which verified information will be shared publicly. These are practical recommendations for the franchise community, not claims about the procedures followed in this incident.

Practical takeaway: Before publishing a local promotion, check not only the product, price and address details, but also the language used, the people or institutions singled out, and whether the content has the brand’s approval.