One of the most unique (and arguably the best) things about Lucy’s is the Burger of the Month. Every month there’s a new burger that has a crazy combination of flavors and ingredients that you never think would go on a burger, but then you try it and you wonder why you didn’t do that first. Have you ever wondered who the mastermind is behind those Burger of the Month creations?
Meet Emily, Lucy’s first-ever Executive Chef and General Manager.
She started her culinary career at Cafe Belwah in the old Beloit Inn at age 16 as a busser. During her shifts, she noticed the chef flipping omelettes and thought it looked cool, and thus her interest in culinary arts was born. One day, the omelet chef was sick and Emily had to flip omelets. She told her boss she didn’t know how, but Emily did it anyway, and after doing such a good job, she became the “omelette girl.”
Emily took her passion to Blackhawk Technical College, where she got her degree in Culinary Arts. When Cafe Belwah became Merrill & Houston’s Steak Joint in 2012, Emily stayed, but she was moved to prep in the kitchen. After learning under Chef Bobby, she became one of his sous chefs.
When the idea of Lucy’s became a reality, Emily was the perfect fit for both general manager and executive chef. She spent four months researching the Juicy Lucy burger and experimenting with different flavor combinations until she found the perfect burgers. Emily was hands-on in every aspect of Lucy’s — from the ingredients to the space — so everywhere you look in the restaurant, there’s an imprint of Emily.
Have you ever tried some of the lip-smacking barbecue sauce that adorns our Cheddar, Bacon, BBQ burger? Well, that sweet and savory sauce was not a gift from the gods, but Emily’s very own creation. It’s worth a trip to Lucy’s just for that!
Her outgoing, unique personality shows how big of a heart she has, and she ran her business with that big, open heart. She wrote Lucy’s core values and mission statement, and you know their tagline “Cool People Who Work Hard”? Yeah, that was Emily’s creation, and her former staff continues to embody that statement every day.
She even represented all of the cool people here in Beloit on a national platform, The Food Network! Emily was a contestant on Guy’s Grocery Games in 2022. She put her talent to the test in Burgers or Bust and made Lucy's and the Beloit Community very proud. Following the show, she was promoted to our parent company's People & Culture team. Although we'll miss her at Lucy's, we know she is right where she belongs!
So, now you know who’s behind the melt-in-your-mouth burgers and the one-of-a-kind barbecue sauce. She was a spitfire behind the grill and an amazing leader to her crew, and we are so thankful that she stepped up that shift as the official omelet flipper that day.