Originating as a food truck on the streets of Pittsburgh, Lula La Chula’s Oaxacan cuisine seeks to reshape the way yinzers think about fast food with the opening of its first brick-and-mortar restaurant in Etna.
Lula la Chula Turns a Successful Pop-Up Concept Into an Etna Restaurant
Currently in the midst of a third year as a pop-up, the transition to a permanent, wheels-free space is already well underway with the acquisition of 419 Butler Street. The official inauguration was held in the new venue on Monday, October 12, with plans for a soft launch on October 26.
With initial plans to open for in-person service Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Lula La Chula plans to be fully operational with a permanent schedule by January.
Meghan Raffensperger and Vladimir Rodriguez Bring Oaxacan Food to Etna
When Meghan Raffensperger found herself trapped in Mexico at the outbreak of COVID-19, the last thing she expected was to end up back in her hometown of Pittsburgh four years later — as the owner of an Oaxacan food truck. Having lived and studied in Montreal for her post-graduate work, Raffensperger decided to travel to Mexico in February of 2020; it was there that she met Vladimir Rodriguez.
When lockdown struck, the decision to remain together in Mexico made the most sense. “I chose to stay because I fell in love,” Raffensperger jokes. “I didn’t get stuck!”
The couple got married in Mexico in July of 2021, then relocated to Canada. Initially, the plan had been to offer Oaxacan cuisine north of the border, but after their requests for citizenship were denied, Raffensperger suggested Pittsburgh as an alternate launch site. Touching down here in November of 2022, it took almost two years for the couple to incorporate the business and for Vladimir to obtain his green card. Nevertheless, they prevailed.
It’s Not Fast Food — It’s Comida Corrida (But It’s Ready Fast)
With their “truck doors” open in March of 2024, Raffensperger and Rodriguez were now primed to feed their target audience: Pittsburgh’s working class.
“We want it to be like Oaxacan fondas,” Rodriguez and Raffensperger explain. “More like a diner, a place where you can go to eat that’s not too fancy. We want it to be accessible, a place where people know the owners — a neighborhood shop. This is based on the tradition of commodore — a strong economic base for the community, a business that feeds its own family and the families of the community.”
For fans of Oaxacan cuisine, they know ‘fast food’ (or comida corrida) means just that — food that is ready quickly. It does not possess the same connotations as U.S. fast-food chains. “It means food on the go,” explains Rodriguez in Spanish, translated by Raffensperger. “We want people to understand how food has traveled through time and history. It is a meeting of cultures: the European influence in modern-day Mexican culture. Cheese, for example, is not an indigenous food but a byproduct of the cuisine today because of Spanish colonization.”
The Future of Lula La Chula
Eventually, Lula La Chula plans to offer Oaxacan cooking classes and even expand into catering.
“We want to generate conversation around the actual food. We want people to see all the different dishes [they can make themselves] with the same base. Main entrees have protein, normally chicken or beef. Then there’s a side plate that has carbohydrates — usually pasta.” Lula La Chula’s tamales, for example, pack a strong punch with chicken, chickpeas, potatoes and cheese, all wrapped in banana leaves and served hot as Hades. For working folks on the go, it’s the perfect way to dine while in motion.
As per their Instagram account, Lula La Chula will continue to post their pop-up schedule as the brick-and-mortar locale opens to the public on October 26.
Story by Will Acer
Photos From Lula La Chula