Today we’d like to introduce you to Ali Berkay Altunbulak.
Hi Ali Berkay, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey in hospitality started long before Breeze & Bites. I’m originally from Turkey and spent nearly a decade working in hotels. After moving to the U.S., I continued working in hotels, which gave me the opportunity to further develop my hospitality experience and learn the industry from a different perspective.
I noticed how difficult it was to find the kind of authentic döner I grew up eating in Turkey, especially in Austin. That inspired my business partner, Hüseyin and me to create Breeze & Bites. We spent months developing our recipes and opened our food truck in February 2025.
In the beginning, we really didn’t know what to expect. We were introducing something that many of our customers had never tried before and we had to build awareness one customer at a time. Seeing people try döner for the first time, come back with friends, recommend us to others and eventually seeing days where we completely sell out has been incredibly rewarding.
Since then, we’ve continued to grow through word of mouth, social media, local media and catering opportunities. Our goal is to build Breeze & Bites into a strong, recognizable brand born in Austin, while introducing more people to authentic Turkish döner and sharing a little piece of the food culture we grew up with.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a completely smooth road. This is our first business and we quickly learned that running a food truck is about much more than just making good food. Everything has to work in harmony. The food, packaging, marketing, operations, how you see your brand and most importantly, how customers see it.
We’re lucky to be in Austin because people are curious and open to trying new foods. At the same time, asking someone to spend their money on something they’ve never heard of can be challenging. We believe in our product and know we have something special but getting people to try something unfamiliar is still a challenge and building that trust takes time.
On top of that, there are permits, regulations, costs, and a very competitive food scene. You’re dealing with everything at once while constantly learning and improving. That experience taught us to stay focused, keep getting better, and always look for ways to stand out.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Breeze and Bites Mediterranean Kitchen is an Austin-based food truck specializing in authentic Turkish döner and Mediterranean food. Our focus is simple: quality ingredients, authentic flavors and balanced, flavorful food that we’re genuinely proud to serve.
What sets us apart is our döner. We prepare it in-house using our own recipe, marinating the meat for 48–72 hours before cooking it traditionally on a vertical rotisserie. We wanted to bring the kind of döner we know and love from Turkey to Austin while creating a brand that feels welcoming and approachable to everyone.
We’re especially proud of the community we’ve built in a relatively short time. Many customers who had never heard of döner have become regulars and we’ve received incredible support through word of mouth, social media, local features, and catering.
We still have a lot we want to accomplish. Our vision is to build a strong brand born in Austin that can grow beyond a single food truck, while staying true to the quality and authenticity that got us started.
What were you like growing up?
I was born in Ankara, Turkey, and raised in Alanya, a beautiful city on the Mediterranean coast. Growing up, I was always curious and social. I loved discovering new things and had a natural interest in numbers, food, sports and learning about the world around me.
My curiosity about cooking really started during my university years. I would create my own recipes, experiment with different ideas and serve them to friends and family just to see their reactions. There was always something very satisfying about hearing someone say, “Oh, this is so good!” I think that feeling has stayed with me and is still one of the things I enjoy most about what I do today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.breezeandbites.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breezeandbites/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/breezenbites/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BBD%C3%B6nerBros
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/breeze-and-bites-mediterranean-kitchen-austin
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@bbdonerbros
