ASHEVILLE - Loretta Woolley, the namesake of Loretta’s Café, is ready for new adventures after the downtown eatery closes later this month.
On July 10, Woolley announced Loretta’s Café at 114 North Lexington Ave. will permanently close on July 26 after 26 years.
“It started off as a place to provide a fast, fresh, affordable lunch,” she said. “I enjoy cooking. I love being in the kitchen. … It was a sweet venture and I love doing what I did and meeting customers face-to -face.”
Woolley said the years have flown by and she never imagined the restaurant being open for so long.
“I was not actively pursuing opening a restaurant it just kind of fell on my plate,” Woolley said. “It was a space there and I was always cooking anyway. It sounds strange but that’s what happened.”
In April 1998, Woolley and her husband, David ― her silent partner, she said, who pitches in around the restaurant ― opened Loretta’s Café in a “tiny little place” at 27 Patton Ave.
Woolley said she wanted something small and easy that would serve lunch Mondays through Fridays, which ended up being a sandwich shop.
“It was a good format, and it was something that I got to explore,” she said. “Stuff you wanted to make. Being your own boss. I wanted to do this, and it worked out.”
In 2010, Loretta’s Café moved to the roomier North Lexington locale.
Over the years, she said she's gotten offers to franchise Loretta’s Café but didn’t want to lose control and the essence of the business.
In 2003, Woolley considered segueing into catering, but customer feedback led her to open their second restaurant, Mayfel’s.
The full-service restaurant with Creole/Cajun-inspired cuisine and theme, was inspired by her Louisiana upbringing.
Two years ago, the couple decided to begin to wind down and sold the downtown restaurant, at 22 College St., to new owners after nearly a decade.
“Now it’s time to retire and hang up my hat, hang up my apron,” Woolley said, and then laughed. “I’ll never hang up my apron. I’m going to cook at home.”
Wooley said the North Lexington building is for sale and there are potential buyers.
Woolley called herself an outdoors person and her husband is a volunteer with the Carolina Mountain Club and assists with trail maintenance.
Never one to be bored, Woolley and her husband plan to do many things post-retirement, including taking their dogs out on the hiking trails.
Loretta’s Café will be open with regular hours from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday until July 26.
In the final days, many customers have expressed fond sentiments to Woolley and the restaurant’s team on social media. They’ve also shared their regret over not being able to get their hands on their favorite dishes anymore, like Woolley’s signature chicken salad, once the restaurant closes.
Wooley said she’s full of gratitude and appreciative of all those who’ve supported the restaurants over the years.
“It was a great time. I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Woolley said. “It’s very emotional. It’s been great. I can’t believe it’s been that long.”
For more, visit lorettascafe.com and follow on social media at facebook.com/LorettasCafe/ and @lorettascafe on Instagram.
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Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times .
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Loretta's Cafe founder, chef thanks community for 26 years of support, looks to future
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