Much-awaited restaurant opens in Sturgeon Bay

Cheryl Hentz

Contributor

September 7, 2026

STURGEON BAY – After what felt like an eternity to some, LoLo’s Sturgeon Bay has reopened in a new location – and Owner Carly Sarkis-Baranczyk said it’s only a stone’s throw from their previous location.  

Now located at 229 Louisiana St., Sarkis-Baranczyk said LoLo’s reopened Aug. 13 following the closure of its Michigan Street location in early February 2026.

“Last fall, we received a notice from our landlord that he had sold the building and we’d need to vacate at the end of our lease in February,” she said. “We loved our landlord, and we knew, going into it, that he was probably going to sell eventually. The building was 100 years old, it had so much character, and we just loved it. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t in the cards for us to purchase it.”

Sarkis-Baranczyk said she and her family began searching for a new location as soon as they received notice and, fortunately, found the Louisiana Street property almost immediately.

The space, however, she said, was undergoing extensive interior and exterior renovations that would take several months to complete. 

“We knew it would be kind of a while for the storefront to be ready,” she said. “But we were okay with waiting because we knew it would be a great spot, now and for our future growth.”

Sarkis-Baranczyk said they also closed their food truck – which The Business News showcased in its Aug. 26, 2024 issue – in October 2025, leaving them to wait about six months for the landlord to finish the work and get the new location ready. 

“Even though we were closed down for a little bit longer than we expected, it ended up being fine,” she said. “We needed that time to get situated and organized.”

Though she had little input on the remodel, Sarkis-Baranczyk said the owner added a built-in bakery case and expanded the porch to create outdoor seating.

Most of the interior, she said, remains familiar, with subtle updates, including new lighting. 

Since reopening a month ago, Sarkis-Baranczyk said business has been nearly nonstop, with longtime customers who patiently waited for the new location, along with plenty of newcomers, flocking to the new space. 

“Business has been very good so far,” she said. “All of our locals and our regulars are happy to see us back. Since we decided not to open up the food truck this past season, those folks had to wait a couple of extra months to see us – but they were totally fine with that and just really excited. And everyone, especially all of our regular customers, has been so loyal and patient these past months. We’re very grateful for that.”

Sarkis-Baranczyk said the new location has indoor seating for about 10, though most customers opt for grab-and-go or pickup orders.

She said a few picnic and cafe tables outside provide additional seating for about 10.

Family, tradition influenced many menu items

Sarkis-Baranczyk said LoLo’s new storefront offers a mix of fresh and frozen grab-and-go items, including appetizers, entrees and soups, along with breakfast pastries, take-and-bake cinnamon rolls, seasonal sweets, deli favorites, local artisan foods, gifts and more. 

The name LoLo’s, she said, is loosely based on her grandmother, Lois, and is “basically a love letter to my family.”

“My grandparents on my mother’s side had six kids, and those six had a ton of kids, so my family is very large,” she said. “Even though it’s a big family, we’re all very involved in each other’s lives, and we have great relationships with each other. We feel so lucky because we all just love each other so much. We’ve had so many amazing conversations and made so many lasting memories over shared meals and holidays. So, this is just kind of a love letter to that.”

Sarkis-Baranczyk said many of LoLo’s menu items are made from recipes passed down through her family for generations. 

“My grandmother taught all her children, including my mother, to cook and my mother taught me to cook,” she said. “I learned a lot from my mom. So, many recipes have been passed down.”

LoLo’s cranberry chutney recipe, Sarkis-Baranczyk said, came from her great-grandmother, while the cut-out sugar cookie recipe was passed down from her grandmother. 

“There are so many other recipes that have been handed down, or they’re recipes we’ve come up with along the way when we’ve been cooking together,” she said. “That’s kind of our mission: to bring the love we share as a family and the love I experienced growing up and the recipes that have come from our love of cooking to the community.”

Sarkis-Baranczyk said LoLo’s serves both breakfast and lunch, with five featured sandwiches on its lunch menu.

She said the Hall-of-Fame 2.0 – named after several family members on her mother’s side and inspired by her mother’s maiden name, Hall – features avocado, red onion, tomato, spicy cream cheese, pepperoncini and greens on French loaf bread. 

The Fantozzi, Sarkis-Baranczyk said, features pesto, tomato, mozzarella, balsamic and greens on rustic ciabatta, with lemon pepper chicken available as an add-on.

Sarkis-Baranczyk said the Stolen One features Boar’s Head pastrami, mustard and pepperoncini on French loaf bread. 

Rounding out the lunch menu, she said, are the Gym, Tan, Caesar – a wrap with greens, Parmesan, garlic croutons, Caesar vinaigrette and lemon pepper chicken; and the Summer of George – a Door County cherry chicken salad served in a wrap. 

Sarkis-Baranczyk said LoLo’s breakfast offerings include the Banana Stand, a salted chocolate chip bagel with banana cookie butter cream cheese; the Red Flag, a roasted red pepper bagel with cream cheese, seasoned tomato and arugula; and Avocado Toast with avocado, lemon oil, pickled red onion and greens.

She said they also have a daily selection of soups and pastries. 

Sarkis-Baranczyk said LoLo’s chicken salad is, by far, its most popular item and biggest seller. 

Though she said she’s not sure why it has become such a hit, especially since there is no secret ingredient behind the recipe. 

“It’s really just a classic chicken salad with mayo, lemon, celery, onion, dried cherries and chicken,” she said. “So, maybe people like the simplicity of it. Maybe it’s the dried cherries. Everything’s fresh, and there’s a good crunch to it.”

Sarkis-Baranczyk said the popularity is especially surprising given the number of cherry chicken salads available in the area, but she’s happy to see how well LoLo’s version has caught on. 

“My mom used to make chicken salad with grapes, also,” she said. “So, maybe we’ll try that at some point. But it’s mind-boggling to see how popular it is with people.”

Sarkis-Baranczyk said LoLo’s sells its chicken salad in quarts and pints.

Though she handles most of the day-to-day work, she said her mom and aunt provide plenty of support, helping during busy periods and offering encouragement along the way.

Catering among specialty services

Sarkis-Baranczyk said LoLo’s also offers catering for groups of 10 to 150 people, with options including charcuterie boards and platters, grazing tables and brunch boards featuring deli sandwiches, bagels and fruit.

“We have a section on our website (lolosfoodtruck.com) where people can fill out an inquiry form, and then we will get back to them within a couple of days to discuss their event and see what would work best for them,” she said.

Sarkis-Baranczyk said LoLo’s also offers private chef services, fridge fills, private dinners and meal services.

Food truck future 

At least for now, Sarkis-Baranczyk said she is retiring the LoLo’s food truck.

The seasonal nature of the business, combined with its dependence on day-to-day weather and the physical demands of operating it, she said, made it challenging to manage as the primary operator. 

At 26 feet, Sarkis-Baranczyk said the LoLo’s food truck was larger than most, which limited its mobility.

Still, she said she enjoyed working in the kitchen and then stepping outside to interact with customers, especially when the truck was parked near the lake.

Though Sarkis-Baranczyk said she has not made a final decision about the truck’s future, it remained closed this season as she and her family focused on preparing the new storefront. 

A warm welcome 

Before the holiday rush begins, Sarkis-Baranczyk said LoLo’s will participate in the Sturgeon Bay Harvest Fest Sept. 19 with specials running throughout the day.

“Then Oct. 31, the city holds its Halloween festival,” she said. “We always do free cookies for that event. So, the first 100 kids through the door that day will get free cookies.”

Then once the holidays arrive, Sarkis-Baranczyk said LoLo’s will soon roll out its specialty holiday menus. 

“One of our most popular sandwiches during the holidays is a turkey and brie,” she said. “So, people should watch for it to appear on our website or our Facebook page.”

Sarkis-Baranczyk said LoLo’s typically sees a holiday rush, making pre-orders and scheduled pickups the way to go.

“We always have a lot of decorations and try to be very seasonal,” she said. 

No matter the season or occasion, Sarkis-Baranczyk said LoLo’s aims to create a quaint, cozy atmosphere.

“We want you to feel like when you walk in the door, you’re just getting a big, warm hug,” she said. “We really pride ourselves on being happy, kind, warm people, so that’s hopefully what you experience when you come in.”

LoLo’s Sturgeon Bay is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.

For more details, head to the previously mentioned website or find LoLo’s Sturgeon Bay on Facebook.