1148: Ilma Lopez, Chef/Co-Owner of Chaval and Ugly Duckling

Ilma Lopez is from Venezuela and moved to the US in 2001 to go to school. She ended up going to culinary school in NYC and worked there for high profile chefs like Daniel Boulud and others. She worked in Spain for a year and then worked a cruise ship for a year as well. She and her husband moved to 2011 and opened their first restaurant, Piccolo, in 2013. She then opened Chaval and closed Piccolo in 2020. Ugly Duckling was opened in 2023. The two restaurants gross 2 million in revenue. Restaurant Unstoppable - EVOLVE! - Eric of Restaurant Unstoppable is now taking consultation and coaching calls! Book a consultation today! Schedule your call to become UNSTOPPABLE! Check out the website for more details: https://www.restaurantunstoppable.com/evolve Today's sponsors: Restaurant Systems Pro: When you join Restaurant Systems Pro through February of 2025, They will handle your 2024 books at no charge. Here’s what you get: Organization of all invoices and expenses;AI Scanning of products so you know the usage; Reconciling your accounts; Tracking inventory and labor costs; and Providing detailed P&L reports Head to RestaurantUnstoppable.com/RSP and be sure to mention this special offer.   Let’s make 2025 the year your restaurant thrives. Contact the guest: Ugly Duckling website: https://www.uglyducklingmaine.com Chaval website: https://www.chavalmaine.com Thanks for listening! Rate the podcast, subscribe, and share!  We are on Youtube: @RestaurantUnstoppable