Simit-seller in suit attracts customers

BURSA

A pensioner has won hearts in the northwestern province of Bursa for his peculiar sense of dressing in a suit while wandering the streets and selling simit, often called “Turkish bagel.”

“Customers love seeing a simit-seller in suits. I sell 500 pieces a day and earn around 25,000 Turkish liras ($1,763) a month,” 64-year-old Ahmet Berksun told İhlas News Agency on March 6.

When asked how he decided to be a “monger with a tie,” he said, “Due to an old habit.

Working as a government employee, he got dressed in suits for decades.
“When I got retired and decide to sell simit, I did not change my clothing style,” he said. “Many people get shocked when they see me. Most say, ‘This is the first time I see a simit-seller in suits.’ I make no compromise when it comes to dressing.”

His respect for the business has attracted many, with some customers even ordering simit via phone.

“They call me. I take simits from the bakery and deliver them to my customers.”

The minimum wage of a worker in Turkey is 5,004 Turkish Liras ($352), and the monthly retirement pension starts from 2,500 liras ($176).