Our founder deceased Hasan Aslanoba was born in Thessaloniki in 1908 to a family who emigrated from the Seigniory of Evrenosoğlu based in Konyato Thessaloniki.

 

He completed his Primary and Secondary education in Thessaloniki and came to Turkey as the result of the population exchange at the age of 18 leaving his family behind. He moved in the house of his relatives who also came to Sarıyer, Istanbul as the result of the population exchange. While thinking about what to do as business, he decided to be a cook, a profession which he is skilled and capable of and began to work as a Sous Chef in the dining hall of the Faculty of Forestry; in short time he was rewarded and became the Chef of the Faculty of Forestry.

 

In the meantime, a significant part of the family also came to Turkey as the result of the population exchange. Some of the family members are settled in Sarıyer and some in Bursa.

 

Deceased Hasan Aslanoba settled in Bursa where a major part of his family had settled in 1930. He opened a diner that reflected Turkish cuisine culture near Bursa Ulucami both to meet the dining requirements of his family and earn money and named it Lezzet Lokantası. He became famous in short time and queues began in front of the diner especially for Pilaf with Chickpea and Albanian Style Fried Diced Liver. When the diner overgrew, he moved to a larger place in Atatürk Street in the same region and left the other diner to his brother. The business grew more in his new place and he gained reputation in real terms.

 

Meanwhile, the Devrengeç Spring Water enterprise owned by the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality was put out to tender and deceased Hasan Aslanoba and a few friends of his began to operate and develop by investment the facility located on the feet of Uludağ, Bursa. His two sons, Ali Fuat Aslanoba and Nuri Nihat Aslanoba, start to work with their father and they take the flag further by embracing the business. Devrengeç spring water turns into Erikli Spring Water, one of Turkey's most popular brands.

 

Hasan Aslanoba deceased in Istanbul in1965 as early as at the age of 57 and his grave is located in Pınarbaşı Cemetery, Bursa.

 

After his decease, his sons, Ali Fuat Aslanoba and Nuri Nihat Aslanoba, rebuilt a building on Atatürk Street inherited from their father and established Oba Business Center and opened a diner for 350 people on the ground floor. This diner became a frequent destination for the most important invitation dinners, meetings, representatives of state officials and artists who came to Bursa. The reputation of Lezzet Lokantası goes beyond Bursa.

 

After his death, his eldest son Ali Fuat Aslanoba became the head of the diner and food business; Nuri Nihat Aslanoba became the head of the water business (Devrengeç – Erikli Group). Both of his sons became leaders and connoisseurs in their own sectors. In Aslanoba family, food is a culture and tradition maintained from one generation to another.

 

The two big enterprises of the family continue their development with in a corporate structure and realize successful mergers with the largest organizations of their sectors in the world; Erikli Group merging with Nestle Group and Obasan Group merging with Compass Group (Sofra Group), continue to contribute to the national economy as leading brands by creating great synergies.