Born into a renowned family in the tourism sector, known as “Hollandalı Ahmet,” A. Demir Özkal grew up surrounded by a culture of hospitality and embarked on his culinary journey at a young age. Early in his career, he stood out as both a chef and an entrepreneur through seasonal projects, including Kumlubükü Yacht Club and Club Marina Göcek.

After gaining experience at Istanbul’s prestigious restaurants Chilai and Ulus 29, he expanded his career to the international stage. A key milestone was serving as Executive Chef at Honca Berlin, a Michelin Guide-listed restaurant. He then took on the Executive Chef position at The Bristol Hotel, bringing his European experience to high-end gastronomy projects.

Upon returning to Turkey, he served as F&B Manager at Armada Hotel, combining kitchen leadership with operational management. While working as Senior Brand Chef at Dream Group, he oversaw kitchen coordination and quality standardization across the multi- branch Kitchenette brand. The systems he developed in the network of approximately 12 branches strengthened the sustainability of the brand’s kitchens.

At Federal Coffee Company, he played an active role in the brand’s growth as Kitchen Coordinator and F&B Manager, contributing to multi-branch operations, team training, and standardization.

He then joined The Stay Hotels Group as Executive Chef and Kitchen Coordinator, managing restaurant and rooftop bar operations, developing menu language, concepts, and guest experience-focused strategies that shaped the group’s gastronomic identity.

In 2023, he became the Brand Chef for Ulus 29 and Fenix under Doğuş (Dream) Group. Since January 2026, he has been serving as Executive Chef for Tuzz, Opaque, and Opaque By The Sea, part of Khai Hotels in Karaköy and Bodrum.