By Jacob Fehr
BECKY and James Torio opened Lola Letty’s Kitchen at 602 Main Street on January 18. The restaurant serves Filipino cuisine made according to authentic recipes shared with the owners by Mr. Torio’s mother, Leticia (Letty).
Lola is an affectionate term for grandmother in the Philippines, and Ms. Torio said it’s what one would call Leticia there. But Lola Letty isn’t just the restaurant’s namesake—she’s also its symbol.
Their “colourful, Filipino-inspired logo,” designed by Mikayla Bianchin, features Leticia’s “beautiful cartoon face.”
“[Leticia] has a heart of gold and is always the one who would pull an all-nighter to make sure your celebration had the best food! We will be spoiling Norfolk County and surrounding area with
Lola Letty’s food made with her special recipes,” Ms. Torio said.
The Torios moved to Port Dover around six years ago “with a dream to start up a traditional British afternoon tea house” in their home.
“I was working a corporate job and commuting to Toronto. My vision was to commute from upstairs to downstairs within our home,” she said.
Unfortunately, they were beset by the COVID-19 pandemic, illness, and job loss. But they refused to let those problems hold them back.
“We were determined to not allow life to keep us on our knees. We chose to get up and keep moving forward,” she said.
A few years ago, the couple discussed pivoting to “a new dream we could both be excited about.” Then it clicked for them.
“It was easy—Filipino food! James is a natural in the kitchen—obviously inherited this gift from his mother. We talked to friends and family to run the idea by them. Not one person hesitated—they were simply excited for us! We knew we were on the right path. The company name was chosen on that same walk,” Ms. Torio said.
Mr. Torio is Canadian-Filipino, and his parents come from Aparri, Cagayan, Philippines. Ms. Torio explained that she quickly fell in love with her mother-in-law’s Filipino cooking.
“When I met James and started attending family functions, I couldn’t get enough of the flavourful food—especially the pancit (noodle dish) and lumpia (spring rolls)! I made the mistake of thinking that everyone’s dishes tasted the same—silly Becky. I quickly discovered that it was Letty’s recipes—along with all the love she adds to her food—that made it so very special.”
“We have had a lot of support from our families and friends—who are just as (if not more) excited about this new adventure,” she said.
Moreover, after erecting their sign last fall, they saw “an outpouring of local support and interest for our small, family business.”
After clearing the necessary hurdles, the couple finally launched Lola Letty’s Kitchen a few weeks ago. Ms. Torio said they plan to operate on weekends until the spring, at which point they’ll expand their hours to include Friday and Monday. They also hope to have a grand opening in spring.
Asked how they’re feeling about starting their restaurant before its opening, she said, “Massively excited! It’s that feeling when you know you have something really special and you just want to share it with everyone so they can enjoy it as much as you do!”
“The sad part about opening a takeout restaurant is that we’re going to miss all those reactions to people tasting our food for the very first time! I suppose this is what 5-star reviews are for,” she joked.
Ms. Torio is happy with what they’ve achieved but said she hasn’t given up on her dream of having a tea house in her home, either.
“Let’s just say we will wait and see what the future holds. Life has taken me for a rollercoaster of a ride, but it hasn’t steered me wrong yet!”
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Originally published February 5, 2025
