Lola’s Modern Kitchen started out in a 10-by-10-foot canopy tent offering tacos, burritos and nachos at a downtown fall festival in September 2022.

In just one year, owners Seth and Tonya Pacey developed success with their mobile food truck carrying the same name, and now, their dream comes true with a restaurant of their own.

“Having a brick and mortar is going to allow us to be more creative and expand our menu as well as do different events,” Seth said. “It won’t just be tacos and burgers.”

Seth said they began looking for a new space in December for their commissary kitchen that was originally located in Brownstown.

“We got tired of the drive and wanted somewhere in Seymour that we could do local takeout and delivery,” he said.

Initially, Seth did not intend to start a restaurant, but he knew everyone would not want to order online.

“I thought that there would be people who will come in and order, maybe some will want to sit down on their breaks, so let’s put a couple tables out there,” he said. “But I don’t want it to be weird, so we are going to go all in so they feel comfortable sitting in here.”

Janette Coulter and Aaron Kidd spend every Wednesday together to grab lunch and relax from midweek stress. This was their first time visiting Lola’s Modern Kitchen’s new location, and they were impressed with the décor.

“We are special needs moms, so we use this time to get together and decompress,” Coulter said. “This space is really cute and definitely different for this area.”

Coulter first had Lola’s food at the Seymour Pride event last year and remembered fondly the nachos she had that day. For Aaron, this was her first time trying the food, and she said she couldn’t wait.

Seth said he was tipped off to the location at 820 A Ave. East, which has a long history as a restaurant. It once housed Airport Cafe, and before that Harry and Faye’s Cafe and even earlier Hulda’s Cafe in the ‘70s and ’80s.

“I am really grateful that people are excited that there is new life coming into this building,” he said.

As the building sat for decades decaying, Seth said a lot of work was done to get it up to par.

“We got the keys the first week of January, and it was falling apart when we got it,” he said. “The floors had this stained carpet, the brick paneling was falling off and there was a hole in the floor of the kitchen we replaced.”

From the time they received the keys to the building, the Paceys began painting, fixing and decorating the space to fit their style.

“We went with this dive bar industrial punk rock theme,” he said. “When I was younger, I was always blown away by cool little dive spots with surprisingly good food. We are leaning into the fact that it’s not a great location and making it our brand.”

This modern concept includes a dark accent wall creatively designed by Tonya with the use of spray paint that included the help of their daughter, Lola. Seth also included arcade games and mementos from his youth to tie the space together.

Above one table hangs an old skateboard that Seth got from B2 Bikes and Boards when he was a teenager.

“When Mayor Matt (Nicholson) owned the shop, he used to do this thing called local heroes and would get these skateboard decks and give one to a local kid,” he said.

Not far from that hangs his very first electric guitar he bought from Stephie’s Pawn Shop when he used to play in an emo band.

“I was 17 years old, and I bought it for $25,” he said. “It was a cherry red SG style Silverstone guitar. Because it was so cheap, I didn’t think anything of it and painted it black. I think now, they are worth around $300.”

The Paceys received their approval from the health department the first week of February and hosted a soft opening of their restaurant on Feb. 17, which gained more attention that Seth expected.

“I was really surprised,” he said. “I didn’t really do any big advertising, but it had a huge response on social media. Every seat was full, and there was a line out the door.”

Seth said the day of the soft opening, they served around 110 to 115 people in three hours, and with such a big response from the community, he is thinking about acquiring more of the building for dine-in space.

“When I decided to do the soft opening, I hadn’t been hiring anyone, but Tonya kept telling me I needed to because it was going to be bigger that I thought,” he said.

Seth has hired a few more employees since the soft launch and said he will soon be able to announce his full-time hours.

As for Lola, Seth said she loves coming to the restaurant and telling everyone she knows about her dad’s success.

“She loves it and she is so proud, which makes me over the moon,” Seth said. “She loves telling people about her dad’s restaurant.”

The Paceys also have owned and operated The Pacey Apothecary at 125 W. Second St. in downtown Seymour since the summer of 2022. Seth said owning a restaurant was always a shared dream for him and Tonya, but it can be hard to be in two places at once.

“She is kind of sad right now she doesn’t get to be as big of a part of it as she would like, and with the apothecary so involved in the community, it’s not something either of us would want her to let go of,” he said. “The food truck and the restaurant have been my undertaking with her here for support.”

While keeping up with two busy establishments, quality family time is something the Paceys still keep as a priority.

“She closes down the apothecary at 6 p.m., and we will all come out here and have dinner together,” he said. “Lola loves to play the arcade games and listen to music.”

From starting in a tent to selling their farm in Henryville to purchasing the food truck to a brick-and-mortar location in just a year, Seth has learned that food trucking is not as glamorous as many would think.

“We have a good time and I am very grateful, but I think it feels differently than what it appears on the outside,” he said. “From the outside, you get a little glimpse of our wins, but rarely do we ever broadcast our failures, and there have been lots of those.”

Seth said he is excited for the future of his new establishment and hopes to give customers an experience they would never expect.

“I am grateful for this rapid speed in which we have grown and the opportunities we have had and the people that have helped us along the way,” he said. “Hopefully, in another year or two, we will scout another location.”

Lola’s Modern Kitchen will have a grand opening at 10:30 a.m. March 9.