Lou grew up in NJ in a family-owned and operated deli business. With three stores and hard-working parents, Lou gained extensive knowledge about food preparation and the business from an early age, eventually leading him to The Culinary Institute of America. There he studied global cuisine and business management. After graduating from the Culinary Institute, Lou was offered the Executive Chef position at The Lotus Club in NYC, a prestigious, private literary club. His artistry and expertise provided meals for world statesmen and numerous well-known celebrities. Lou remained at The Lotus Club for several years when he was offered a position as Director of Culinary Operations for an upscale NJ department store. In collaboration with a well-known restaurant consultant, the beautifully appointed 160-seat European Café with a full-service bakery guaranteed a line out the door every day. Lou’s menus were fresh and innovative. He had the ability for putting the “wow” factor in his dishes which earned him an outstanding reputation. It was at the café where Lou met his Sous Chef and future wife, Stacie. They worked side by side for six years. Lou’s diverse experience in the food industry is far-reaching as a Chef, a Contract Food Service Chef, Dessert Manufacturer, Restaurant Equipment Sales, Consultant, and Research & Development. The couple’s passion for the culinary arts inspired their move to Carpinteria, CA where they founded their first business together, an inventive, wholesale, Lower Fat Cheesecake Company. The cheesecakes were handcrafted, starting with their own signature yogurt cheese. Living in the same community as Julia Child, the product line got a thumbs-up from the food legend herself! In the first year of business the company was praised in three national publications: Food & Wine, Eating Well and Good Housekeeping. Stacie ran the office & national mail order business while Lou ran the production floor and continued his research and development. The business eventually sold with the creation of a cheesecake for the Atkins Diet Center. While food brought the couple together, it was their skills and foresight that gave them the ability to set up and manage a successful food operation. Finding their way to Lake Oswego, OR they founded their second wholesale bakery with a line of gluten-free baked goods, which included a few first-to-market bake-at-home products. Now, using his wealth of food-related experience, Lou is on a mission to help other food businesses grow by offering bookkeeping services at Food Savvy Bookkeepers.

Stacie grew up in NJ in a family-owned and operated chain of upscale supermarkets. She has many fond memories of working in the stores, and her love of the food business grew quickly from that exposure. Her path eventually led her to The Restaurant School at Walnut College in Philadelphia, PA. Stacie’s experience is diverse. She worked in almost every capacity of the restaurant business, from casual to fine dining. Her culinary skills were showcased through roles such as Head Chef for the World Headquarters of Chemical Bank in NYC, Chef for a large vegan resort, Private Chef, and a Chef on a research vessel out of the University of Delaware. During that time, she lived and worked on board the ship at the College of Marine Biology, feeding the crew and invited guests. At one time, Stacie pursued an interest in food photography and styling, but her passion always led her back to the kitchen. Her discerning palate and keen eye for presentation gave her the ability to create unique food products. While working as a co-founder with her soon-to-be husband in their wholesale cheesecake company, Stacie managed office operations, which included a national mail order business, advertising material, packaging, and merchandising of their product line. Her day-to-day tasks, powered by Quickbooks, included Accounts Payables, Accounts Receivables, Sales, Invoicing, and Payroll Recording. Lou led the production floor and continued his research and development. In their first year, the company exhibited their product line at the renowned Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, where their line of cheesecakes received high praise and gained new distribution channels for both retail and wholesale accounts. After some time and a move to Lake Oswego, OR, Stacie and Lou founded a second wholesale bakery featuring a line of gluten-free baked goods, including several first-to-market products. As the gluten-free market segment grew, the couple found themselves fielding many questions about taking gluten-free products to market. Stacie recognized a need for a business network where gluten-free food businesses could receive guidance. She soon co-founded the National Gluten-Free Business Forum, a support and informational networking organization for regional gluten-free businesses and their supply chain. The goal was to provide effective, timely, and critical information, enabling each member to achieve their goals while providing innovative gluten-free products to consumers. Now, drawing on her extensive food industry experience, Stacie is dedicated to helping other food businesses grow by offering bookkeeping services at Food Savvy Bookkeepers.