Welcome to Lobotina Olive Oil 

- BEFORE ME -

Lobotina didn’t start with me.

It started in a small village in Greece called Ano Chora. My great grandfather Nikos was the president of the village, and over time he and his friends gave it the nickname “Megali Lobotina.”

It translates loosely to “little big village.”

The name stuck.

My grandfather (Nikos' son, Konstadino) later opened a café in the center of town called Café Lobotina, and it became part of the village’s identity. Even during the German occupation of Greece, the name never changed. The Germans even gave it a moniker of "village nestled in the mountains".

Ano Chora became known as Megali Lobotina and it still is to this day.

This is my third iteration of that name.

The first was the village.
The second was the café.
And now, Lobotina lives on through our family’s olive oil.

Same roots.
Same land.
Just carried forward in a different way.

 

- HOW THIS STARTED -

Lobotina didn’t start as a business plan. It started as something I had to build.

Before this, I was in the US Marine Corps and was selected for a F.A.S.T. Unit. That was the direction I thought my life was going to take. Structure, discipline, purpose.

Then everything changed.

I underwent a brain surgery that put my life at a complete standstill. I had to relearn how to walk, and learn piano to keep motor function of both sides of my body. During the six months of incapacitation I had a lot of time to think about what to do with my life. 

That’s what led me back to something that had always been there... our family’s farm in Greece.

At first, it was simple. I brought some back, shared it, and paid attention to how people responded.

They noticed.

But getting started wasn’t easy. I was turned away from markets. I was told things like, “we already have an olive oil vendor,” or that there wasn’t enough demand for another one.

So I kept showing up anyway.

Over time, people started coming back. Then bringing friends. Then asking where they could get more.

That's when Lobotina became something real.

Today, everything we offer comes directly from our family’s farm in Greece. It’s the same oil we’ve always used. Nothing added, nothing changed.

Lobotina isn’t about trying to be the biggest or the flashiest brand.

It’s about building something honest, staying consistent, and letting the product speak for itself.

If you’ve stopped by the stand, had a conversation, or supported in any way you’re part of this now too. Much love, and welcome to the family.