Dereboyu’s First Love: Pronto
Readers who follow me will know that on the “Food Enjoyment” page, I feature the distinguished establishments in our country and their special dishes. The venue I’m featuring for the first time today will be Dereboyu’s first fast-food restaurant: I’m talking about Pronto… When the first invitation came, I had the same thoughts you probably had as you read the previous sentence: pizza, the thing synonymous with Pronto! I went expecting to taste Pronto’s pizza. But I ended up tasting incredible dishes besides pizza. Anyway, let’s set those delicious dishes aside and move on to the brief interview I had with General Coordinator Serkan Yıldırım, from whom I got some general information about Pronto...
Cem KAR: When did Pronto begin operating?
Serkan Yıldırım: Pronto began operating in 1992 as the first fast-food restaurant to open in Dereboyu.
C.K: I suppose you served only pizza in those years? And when did you make the transition from fast food to restaurant?
S.Y: Pronto was the first place in Nicosia to make pizza. In other words, Pronto brought pizza to Nicosia. As for your other question, Pronto began operating as a restaurant in 1996. Pronto was also the first to serve Mexican food! Pronto operated with the same décor until 2007, then reopened with its new décor after a brief renovation period.
C.K: In other words, I suppose Pronto was the place of many firsts. So, what makes Pronto special?
S.Y: What makes us special is that we make everything ourselves. All the sauces we use are made by our chefs, who know world cuisine very well. We never use ready-made sauces, which means that you won’t find the taste of any dish you eat at Pronto anywhere else. The breads and lavash served with meals at Pronto are baked in our own ovens. We even have guests who come just to taste our bread. Also, all the desserts at Pronto are made in our own kitchen.
C.K: Dereboyu is undoubtedly our country’s most popular street, and you serve customers here. What would you like to say about Dereboyu? What do you think could be done?
S.Y: As you said, Dereboyu is a very popular street. A lot could be done here. For example, traffic could be made one-way, or the street could be closed completely to vehicles. Certain standards could be set for restaurants or shops. There is a lot that could be done on such a popular street.
C.K: What other services do you offer at Pronto?
S.Y: At Pronto, we provide one of the most essential services of our time: internet access. Also, on Friday evenings at Pronto, our customers enjoy their meals accompanied by live music performed by the duo Serdar Kavaz and Sedat Avcan.
C.K: Mr. Serkan, thank you for this brief interview.
S.Y: Thank you.