The CHIEF September 2023

Get to Know Your Local Business: Lola’s Homestyle Filipino Cooking By: Hannah Ricketts

Do you ever wonder about the history of the businesses in Pontiac? Well, I do, too! This week, I interviewed the owner of Lola’s, Anna Hoerner. I got to know how her life changed before and after opening a restaurant. To give a little of her history, she attended PTHS in the graduating class of ‘07, and decided that she wanted to be a chef the second semester of her senior year. She enrolled at Kendall College, a culinary arts and hospitality management college located in Chicago, Illinois. She lived in a dorm in the heart of downtown Chicago, which she absolutely loved. Hoerner had all manner of people in her classes—young, old, experienced, and learning. It was a mix of people who were great to learn from and work with. To simplify the learning structure, they would have a lecture and then a practical afterward to perfect what they had learned. Another interesting fact I learned was that breakfast, lunch, and dinner were served in the cafeteria and were prepared and served by students. I asked her what she would have to say to someone who wants to pursue a career in the culinary arts, and this was her response: "Don’t do what everyone else does just because everyone is doing it. If you want to go to school—awesome. It was a great experience, but at the same time, I learned WAY more from my job than I did at school. I learned much more practical skills and time management than I ever learned in school." Hoerner has had many unique experiences from different restaurants, and she shared those with me. Her first job in Chicago was waiting tables in a tiny cafe, and after that experience, she swore off waiting tables, saying that she "would stick to cooking or hosting." She worked at Viand Italian Kitchen in the city, which is no longer open. She stated that her sous chef, Mariela Bolanos, "was instrumental in shaping the way I worked and thrived in a kitchen." She also really enjoyed working at ZED 451, an upscale Brazilian steakhouse, as a tableside chef and hostess. Hoerner also played an important role in many other restaurants that we love in Pontiac. When she first moved back, she helped open Cafe Fontana and worked there for around three months. After that, she worked at Lydia’s Cup and a few years later she helped open The Cup and the Scone. She ultimately decided that her goal was to work for herself. After she left the coffee shop, she helped open Acres Inn. It was during her time here that, as she says, "the opportunity of my dreams open[ed] up for me.” Lola's began its journey as a pop-up. Hoerner loved being a pop-up due to the creative freedom of a completely rotating menu, along with being able to travel around to different people, share her food and meet a multitude of different people. However, there were some things that were less fun when she was a pop-up: she had to figure out the logistics of service, scheduling, and prep without having a place to do it. Another downside was that she had to haul all of the equipment from the Sportsman’s Club, her ghost kitchen, to wherever she had to go. Brick and-mortar Lola’s opened on March 3rd, 2022. There were many difficulties that Hoerner faced during opening that she wasn’t expecting. As we can all understand, its hard work to open your own business, especially in the beginning. Hoerner said that she knew she would be tired, but the exhaustion she felt during those first weeks was unmatched. However, even though it was hard work, she described it as a "rewarding exhaustion.” Hoerner described her first year in business as the "fastest, yet slowest year of [her] life." There were many ups and downs, and many learning experiences, but she is so proud of herself for what she has accomplished.