Managing a restaurant excites Lorie Pustelak. “It gets in your blood,” she says. “There is such an adrenaline rush that comes with working during busy times.”

You can tell by the varied menu, friendly staff and welcoming environment inside Lorie's Wildridge Restaurant that her love of being a restaurateur is infectious. “When you walk in the door, I want the customer to know that this is someone's passion,” Pustelak says. “Just by looking at all of the things on the walls — if owning and operating a restaurant was not my passion, you wouldn't see such attention to detail.” Lorie's passion can be tasted in the quality of the food, the quality of service and the quality of atmosphere.

“The environment in the restaurant reflects a similar ambiance to a place where I worked in Alaska. I really enjoyed the warm and cozy atmosphere in that restaurant. I want my customers to feel the same way when they sit down to eat here.”

When the family comes to Lorie's, they better be hungry! Lorie's serves some of the best homemade food around. “Our mashed potatoes, meatloaf, spaghetti sauce, soups and almost everything else are all made from scratch,” she says. “I'm one of the cooks on the line that makes your meal. I make sure everything is of the highest quality.”

Lorie's Wildridge Restaurant is also known for their grape pies, made from the freshest concord grapes grown in the region. “We pick them, pluck them and smush them. People come and buy two or three pies at a time,” Pustelak says.

Ultimately, Pustelak's formula keeps everyone happy, including her staff. “Being in business is not all about the money,” she says. “It's about the people you meet and doing a good job at something you love.”