Husband-and-wife pair Joe Martinez and Lola Castillo have always been passionate about cooking. Castillo, originally from Venezuela, worked as a chef across Latin America before making her way to Sarasota, where the couple worked together as an executive chef and sous chef. Castillo, who had dreamed of opening her own restaurant, began building the Lady Lola brand and was planning to open up the food truck on her own. “But when we were working together, we realized how well we work together,” says Martinez. “So she asked me if I wanted to join in with her, and I thought it sounded great.” The couple started the Lady Lola food truck in 2023, serving Latin American street food.

“We serve the type of food that you would actually see sold on the streets if you went to Venezuela, Colombia or Chile. These are popular dishes made authentically,” says Martinez. Their most popular dishes are typically one of the pepitos, which Martinez describes as loaded, open-faced hoagies. Other highlights include their homemade empanadas, although Martinez notes that he finds every dish delicious. At Lady Lola, each dish is made from scratch by Martinez or Castillo, who do all the cooking themselves. Ingredients are sourced carefully—the couple regularly drives to Miami to get ingredients not available in Sarasota, including freshly-made Venezuelan cheese. All of their meats are high-quality from Restaurant Depot, and they use vegetables from the local Detwiler’s Farm Market. “We don’t sell any food that I would not consume myself,” says Martinez. “It is really important for me that people feel good after they eat our food.” For Martinez and Castillo, who are first-time business owners, the most rewarding moments over the past several years have been centered around the community. “The best part is our experiences with all of the people, and being able to talk to so many people,” says Martinez. “It is the expression when I look at somebody's face, trying my food for the first time, and I hear them say, ‘this is really good.’ That's what makes the whole thing worth it.”   SRQ