Meet Lauren LaVallie of Lu Style Giardiniera in Manitou Springs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren LaVallie.

Lauren, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I originally grew up in the Chicago area, and Giardiniera is a very well-known thing there that people put mostly on Italian beef sandwiches, hot dogs, etc. there was a recipe a family friend would make that my sister and I started to make it when he passed away. It is a much healthier, fresher and more vibrant version of traditional Chicago style Giardiniera. It was so delicious I wanted to make it all the time! And friends and family loved it so much they were willing to pay for it! So I began my business! However, some time went by and I knew I wanted to move to Colorado to live near the mountains. So I officially started my small business in Manitou Springs, and have been providing this delicious Giardiniera mostly in the Manitou/Colorado Springs area. It is sold at small markets and grocery stores, some cafés and restaurants, and I sell a good deal of it online too!

For just under two years, my partner and I opened a cute store here in Manitou called Lu Style Local Goods, which was located on the street that lead people up to the infamous incline trail. We focused on healthy, organic food items and drinks. We sold products all made in Colorado. We also had amazing vegan protein smoothies and grilled cheese and breakfast burritos that featured the Giardiniera. It was fun, but in the long run, we wanted more free time/outdoor time, and we also had a baby 🙂 but even after the store closing, I continued to make the Giardiniera! It was about to be in Denver right before all of this craziness happened, so hoping to get it up there soon!

Great, 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?
Having a family right in the middle of creating a small business was a bit of a challenge. There were new things I became dedicated to above my business. There have also been bumps in the road with committing yourself to use organic and raw ingredients and also creating it in small batches to preserve the integrity of the product. That’s not always easy. Also, simply trying to define what it is I want when it comes to the expansion of the business. It has been a mostly smooth road, but the thing I tell myself often is “success is measured by effort”! But I’ve found success in so many great ways and seen things differently throughout the journey of creating and selling this delicious product.

Lu Style Giardiniera – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I make a food product that is not only raw, organic, vegan, naturally gluten-free, literally all common allergen-free, but it is also wonderfully addictive and delicious AND incredibly versatile! I am most proud of creating something that people not only want to eat a lot of but also is extremely healthy! I’m proud of providing something that most all people can eat and enjoy—whether you’re vegan or enjoying it on meat, whether you take pride in your health or don’t even think about it, it’s a product you crave!

Making an effort to choose organic vegetables and other ingredients is really important to me. Supporting organic farms and local businesses as much as possible is important. Choosing quality is important.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I feel like I have had a lot of proud moments for things that eventually dissolved but the thing that makes me the most proud is that pure reaction from customers who are so madly in love with the stuff that I make. The people who tell me that I have helped them create new perspectives and new healthy habits. The people who tell me I got their kids or their significant other to start eating vegetables. It’s really just the love from the customers that make me feel proud of what I do!

Contact Info:

• Website: SpicyHotPerfection.com
• Email: lu@spicyhotperfection.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/lu_style_giardiniera?igshid=qy5by253dmhr
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/LuStyleGiard/

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