We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lola Khoram. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lola below.
Alright, Lola thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard.
The modern industry standard in coffee is a loud sense of authority amongst all mere coffee shop goers. To order a coffee at a local LA spot is to feel as if you yourself are the burden. It is to feel as if you are asking a great favor for this poor beautifully dressed barista. Little Miss cuts all industry standards from immediate glance at the 60s orange store front and eclectic trinkets lining the walls. The regulars who come in are known by name and have been majorly charmed into making this wonderland un-LA spot a part of their every day. As a fellow coffee shop attendee myself, I’m always looking at the experience from both an owner, barista, and customer perspective and what how the similarities and differences vary from place to place. My main goal with Little Miss was to create a space that was all of the best things in one. Where I could depend on consistency, be surprised with exciting new flavors, and to feel ease in a moment taken for myself outside of a busy schedule.
Lola, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Of course, my name is Lola Khoram, I’m a 24 year old recent college graduate who had the crazy idea to open up a cafe a year ago. All my life I have had a love for cooking, but figured it would always just be a passion or hobby of mine. At some point of my life I saw myself working in the restaurant business but never expected to be met with the opportunity so soon. I had recently graduated from art school and found myself in an occupational limbo of what I wanted the next step of my life to be. I started working with my best friend, Madison, at a coffee shop in the neighborhood that happened to be hiring and figured any experience is good experience if this is something I’d like to explore later in my life. The more time I spent there, the little dream I had of owning my own place one day grew bigger and bigger. I figured it would just be a dream I would have for years to come.
My dad is a business owner and in many ways he inspires how I think about the future a lot. He had known about the limbo I was in pertaining to what was next for me. Until one day he called me and told me a little cafe by his shop was for lease. In no means did I ever expect a dream I was so ready to pine for years would be coming true in a matter of one phone call. It felt as though I either take the opportunity that’s right in front of me, or regret letting fear make the decision for me.
Now I have Little Miss Cafe. I work here with some friends, Madison included, and I have learned so much in the year we have been open so far. The community plays such a big part of the cafe in keeping it running but also giving us purpose. I will never get tired of the countless interactions I have throughout the day whether it be making a new customer a regular, or seeing the joy the place brings others. It makes the hard days worth it honestly and the good days feel that much better.
Without the support system of my friends and family, I would never have been able to do it on my own. I face new problems everyday as a young business owner, but I am so thankful for everything I have learned thus far from Little Miss and look forward to becoming a better business owner everyday.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
The main thing I have learned from running a business from nothing is how to be savvy. It’s easy to just assume everything you want is achievable and a possibility. But in most cases you have to work with a lot of other factors that might not make your initial ideas happen. Flexibility and give would be the strongest advice I could give to someone just starting out. Even when you think something might be the best for your business, if it is not working out you have to be able to set aside your pride and let go of things sometime. Whether you are working around a tight budget, scheduling or things just seem to not be working out, you can try you’re best to make them work, but to know when to let go and acknowledge reality is when you truly are the most helpful towards yourself and your business.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
As both business owner and customer, I found myself initially creating my dream coffee shop, which in most cases sounds like the right thing to do. But an important lesson I learned was the fine line of creating something I was proud of and enjoyed while still keeping the everyday customer experience in mind as well. In the case of Little Miss, it does not solely serve me, it serves the community around, so to keep in mind whether it be with designing the space or creating a menu, think of the surrounding people who will frequent your shop as well as yourself. To find the balance between the two will create an inviting space for both you and the consumer to enjoy what you have built together.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://littlemisscafe.squarespace.com
- Instagram: @littlemisscafe
- Yelp: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiHvZyUlpSCAxWvKEQIHYn9C9IQFnoECBAQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yelp.com%2Fbiz%2Flittle-miss-cafe-los-angeles&usg=AOvVaw0mbNhTVzlXrdzt-j8WaNjz&opi=89978449