09/03/2026
Okay, so about my epic silence over here… I have a pretty good excuse… On June 12, I welcomed my daughter, Marlow — lu•lu’s newest, tiniest, and currently least productive employee. And introducing her feels very full circle for me. Because I was a restaurant baby!
As many of you know, I grew up in my parents’ restaurant. I slept under tables, hung around the kitchen (literally in a carrier), and learned pretty early that a restaurant is never just a “restaurant”
It’s the people who work beside you. The regulars whose orders you know. The farmers and vendors who become friends. The customers who keep walking through the door year after year and, without necessarily realizing it, become part of your family’s story.
And now I get to raise my own "restaurant" baby.
Marlow will grow up hearing the ice cream machine running in the background. She’ll know our farmers and our staff. She’ll probably learn to scoop before she learns long division. She’ll be passed around behind the counter and, if she’s anything like me, eventually be put to work.
But getting here has also meant that this summer has looked a little different for me. I’ve been trying to figure out how to be a new mom and still be the owner of a business that I love deeply. I haven’t answered every email as quickly as I normally would. I definitely haven’t kept up with social media. I’ve had to step away more, lean on my incredible staff more, and accept that I simply can’t be everywhere at once.
And that has made me think a lot about what it actually means when people choose to support a small business. When you come into lu•lu for a cone, grab a coffee, order a cake, book us for an event, tell a friend about us, or simply choose us instead of somewhere else — you are supporting a real family. You’re helping me keep this business going while I learn how to be Marlow’s mom. You’re helping me employ an amazing group of people. You’re helping us keep buying from Vermont farms and producers.
So this is partly a delayed baby announcement, partly an explanation for where the heck I’ve been, and mostly a thank you.
lu•lu is still here. I’m still here. And as I figure out this new chapter, I hope you’ll keep showing up for us. Because every single time you choose a small business like mine, it matters more than you probably know.
Thank you for giving me the chance to build lu•lu. And now, thank you for helping me raise another "restaurant" baby in it.
