Overview

Ann Kim attributes helping her mother cook Korean dishes growing up, along with eating a multitude of New York pizza while studying at Columbia University, to her career as a Partner and the Executive Chef of Pizzeria Lola, Hello Pizza and Young Joni. After quitting her job at the Hennepin Theater Trust, Ann began to experiment and develop her pizza skills in her own kitchen. She soon studied under renowned pizza master Tony Gemignani and gained an appreciation for Neapolitan, Sicilian, and American style pizza.

By late 2010, her artisan wood fired pizzeria in Minneapolis, Pizzeria Lola, gained national attention by New York Post, USA Today, Food & Wine's list as one of the best pizza places in the U.S., and was featured on the Food Network's Diner, Drive-Ins and Dives. In 2014, Ann was named Emerging Woman Business Owner of the Year by National Association of Women Business Owners.

Highlights & Awards

• 2016 Pizzeria Lola named Top 20 Best Pizzerias in the World by Daniel Young, author of Where to Eat Pizza
• 2017 Young Joni, Best New Restaurant – GQ and Eater National
• 2017/18 James Beard Semifinalist for "Best Chef Midwest"
• 2018 Chef of the Year – Glower Magazine
• 2018 Outstanding Restauranteurs – Charlie Awards
• 2019 James Beard Award Semifinalist for "Best Chef Midwest"

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