Hakan is a second-generation baker, that is, without counting, all the grandmothers and great-grandmothers who made their bread early every morning for hundreds of years. His uncle had a bakery in a small town in Eastern Turkey, and it was here that Hakan learned to ferment the dough, helping out after school from age 14 on. When they opened two bakeries in Istanbul, he helped their family business. The bakery joyfully made flatbreads, bread, pastries, and desserts.

When Hakan first arrived in the US with his wife and son in 2015, that passion and connection around fermentation led him to learn more about wine, taking classes at the Napa Valley College and working at V. Sattui during harvest.

A two-year role at Model Bakery in Oxbow provided the confidence and know-how to start his own business making pretzels, bagels, naturally leavened bread, and pizza to be sold at the Napa Farmers Market and elsewhere.

Hit by a pizza obsession, similar to Anatolian flatbread dishes, Hakan studied, experimented, and observed various pizza-making methods. He attended pizza expos, visited pizza restaurants, and tasted different styles until buying a nice wood-fired pizza oven and creating a stir at events such as Bottle Rock. Catered events continue to be an important part of the business. Owning and operating a mobile wood fired pizza oven allows Hakan to elevate any event in Napa with delicious, freshly made pizzas. Hakan says, "Now our longtime dream has come true, and we are opening our place soon. I want to share all my experience and passion with my community, who have supported us since the beginning. We will offer long-fermented Pan-style pizza, such as Detroit and Chicago.”