“The stars aligned in a major way. Being able to enter this space without a huge debt meant a lot of freedom. We were able to try things out, and just be ourselves for years. We also found the farm-to-table movement, or whatever you want to call that, concurrent with our opening. When we opened is when Green City Market first started, and when some of the (other Midwest) farmers recognized Chicago as a potential marketplace for high quality organic fruits, vegetables, meats and other products. That market kind of exploded at the same time Lula did. So, we were so excited about discovering new farmers, being part of this new movement toward knowing your farmers and knowing where things come from.” - Lula Cafe co-owner/executive chef Jason Hammel talking about the different pieces that came into place at the very beginning.