Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa Tilaka.
Hi Vanessa, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I am born and raised in Montebello. My husband, Thomas, is from Iowa City, Iowa. We had both been cooking and working in restaurants for a long time and met in San Francisco. On a trip overseas, we started to discuss what we wanted to do with our lives and our next step. At that point, I had discovered cheeses from Sonoma, Petaluma, and the other North County creameries and really wanted to focus on cheese. We were presented with an opportunity in Pasadena and we decided to move back to pursue this. We’ve learned a lot about each other and the business/industry in this process. We’ve met a lot of wonderful people who have become friends and mentors along the way. Today we have a wonderful restaurant and cheesery (cheese shop) serving brunch, dinner and cut to order cheeses as well as wine and all the accompaniments. We employ 80 staff members and we’re constantly looking to improve ourselves as business owners and as people participating in the community of Pasadena.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely has not. We started construction 2 months before a global pandemic shut the world down, rising material costs and lack of labor force really slowed things down. There were days when I would open the cheese shop in the morning then put on an apron to serve the dining room at night. Thomas would prep all the pasta and bread during the day, then cook the food at night. Everyone did what they had to do to help make this business work and we’re forever grateful.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are a restaurant, bar and cheesery featuring midwest-inspired comfort food, seasonal cocktails and eclectic wines, and a cut-to-order cheese shop. We’re known for our cheeses and comforting American food made with a twist. We offer different experiences for folks who are looking to enjoy brunch with family, a cheese and cured meat plate and a glass of wine while they decompress from a long day, or dinner with friends they haven’t seen in a while, as well as artisan made products to entertain at home. We’re proud to offer products and experiences that are unique to Pasadena and the greater Los Angeles area.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I’m generally not a risk taker, but Thomas is. I have to think about it, work out all the scenarios and outcomes before I can confidently make a decision. The pandemic and this industry has changed that a bit for me and we’ve had to do what needs to be done, be flexible and be patient. A major risk was opening a new restaurant in Pasadena during a pandemic. We try to forecast or be proactive about situations so that we can prepare but sometimes you can’t prepare and you just have to take a risk on systems, structures and such. It’s better to do and try than do nothing at all and watch it all pass you by.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.agnesla.com
- Instagram: agnes_pasadena
- Facebook: agnesrestaurantandcheesery
Image Credits
Jakob Leyman, Hox Creative, Yoshihiro Makino
