Idris Çolpan and his brother Namik opened Lale Pastanesi in 1957.

At the time The Pudding Shop was the only place in the area the adventurous could get direct transport to Asia and tourist information on Turkey. The tourists made The Pudding Shop famous, using it as a meeting place and message center.

Idris Çolpan explained that " pilgrims" travelling East, often driving old cars or Volkswagen vans, would stop at his restaurant to meet new acquaintances and find other travellers with whom to share expenses and experiences. The Çolpan brothers put up a bulletin board to handle all the messages from people offering or hitching rides to Europe or Far East.