We’re the founders, Naftaly Stramer and Ofer Sivan, and we’re glad you’re here. It involves two men, a small town, a food cart, and a passion for Mediterranean food. It all started in 2004. We were craving the authentic Mediterranean food we grew up with but couldn’t find locally. Using original recipes from our families, we created falafel and hummus we sold from a food cart in Iowa City, Iowa. From the first day we focused on creating fresh, healthy, and delicious products from the heart. No preservatives. Ingredients anyone could understand. The popularity of our food took us by surprise. In short order, we opened a small Iowa City restaurant called Oasis Falafel in a space formerly occupied by a Chill and Grill. The location fit our no-frills, tastes good, focus-on-food philosophy, and soon became an Iowa City staple. Within a few years, customers wanted to know where they could buy our hummus outside of the restaurant. They asked local retailers to carry it, paving the way for our hummus to move onto shelves in co-ops, mom and pop grocery stores, local shops, and cafes. Then HyVee, Costco, Fareway, Natural Grocers, and others followed. Our hummus began to pop up across Iowa and the Midwest. What makes the story of our journey so special is that it was driven by our customers. They understand our hummus is ideal for everyone from vegans and vegetarians to protein and superfood lovers to kids and those with special diets. For 15 years, we created all of our grocery store products from our small restaurant kitchen. As demand increased, we knew we had to adjust. In 2019, we expanded our local craft production, staying true to our recipes and high-quality ingredients. Then, in 2021, we introduced a new name and packaging design for our grocery store products. The name—Oasis Street Food—is a nod to our food cart origins and to the simplicity of our products. What hasn’t changed is the healthy, high-quality ingredients that go into our products. These remain the same. What also remains the same is our Oasis Falafel restaurant. Though our hummus will now be available to more folks across the Midwest as we expand our Oasis Street Food into more stores, you can still find the same, fresh Mediterranean cuisine at our Iowa City restaurant. Whether it’s Oasis Street Food or our Oasis Falafel restaurant, you can rest assured that our food is always created with delicious, healthy, high-quality ingredients. Even though we’ve grown over the years through the love and support of our communities, our goal is still the same as it was back when we were two men and a street food cart: to create Mediterranean from the heart.
-Naftaly Stramer and Ofer Sivan, Oasis founders
To learn more about our Oasis Street Food products and where you can find them, visit oasisstreetfood.com. To view our restaurant menu and place an order, visit www.oasisfalafel.com.
