Meet Lisa Schroeder | Executive Chef and Owner of Mother’s Bistro & Bar

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lisa Schroeder and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lisa, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I had the idea for a restaurant called “Mother’s Bistro & Bar” back when I was a marketing manager for Weight Watchers International. I was working 13 hours a day so I frequently picked up take out food for my family. While there was pizza, Chinese, Mexican or Thai food, there was no place that served “Mother food;” the kind of food I’d make for my family if I only had the time. That’s when I realized the world needed a place that served motherly cooking — slow-cooked dishes made with love from scratch. Everything I did for next 8 years was focused on learning and getting the experiences I felt I needed to be successful. I wanted to learn THE way of doing things so I could apply them to Mother Food. I studied at The Culinary Institute of America, worked at some of the best restaurants in France and New York, and gained experience as a chef… all this to prepare me to open the restaurant of my dreams. Mother’s Bistro & Bar has been successful because to this day, no one operates a restaurant with such a mission. We are unique not only to Portland, Oregon, but to the country as well. No other restaurant features the cuisine of a different mother each month (the M.O.M.) and no other restaurant is dedicated to serving dishes from mothers from around the world made with love for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In addition, I work hard. I am at my restaurant nearly every hour it’s open making sure everything is done just right; from the cooking of the food to how we serve it, I make sure we put care and love into everything we do.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I always thought I wanted to be a lawyer so I studied English and Political Science in college while simultaneously working and raising my daughter. Most of my jobs have been in marketing to support my family. I worked for Publishers Clearing House as a telemarketing manager, for a food broker as a marketing manager, and then for Weight Watchers International as a Products and Licensing Manager. I reached a crossroads where I either had to get an MBA to move up in the business world or go to law school to pursue the career I always thought I wanted. But then a friend of mine who knew how much I loved cooking suggested I go up to The Culinary Institute of America and check it out. I was smitten. I never dreamed I could have a career in the kitchen, but when I saw the campus and facilities, I concluded that’s where I needed to be. I applied and was accepted, but I was still working for Weight Watchers, had a husband who I was supporting and a daughter who was going to school on Long Island. How could I possibly go to school 2 1/2 hours away? Then life happened…my husband had an affair with my best friend (the one who told me about cooking school!), my daughter decided to move in with her father and I got laid off from Weight Watchers. Basically, the universe made it so I could go to cooking school at the age of 33!

I had the idea for Mother’s Bistro & Bar before I even started school, and everything I did from that moment on prepared me to open the restaurant of my dreams. No matter what class I was taking or restaurant I was working in, I was always asking myself how that would apply my experience or learnings to the restaurant I would open someday.

Everyone of my experiences, both in life and work, have proven helpful with the launch, marketing and running of Mother’s Bistro & Bar and the other restaurants I have opened. My business career enabled me to understand profit and loss and the importance of profitability in the success of a business. My marketing career gave me the tools necessary to get Mother’s Bistro & Bar recognized for the gem she is. My cooking experience and education provided me with the culinary skills to make and serve delicious food. My experience as a manager of a telemarketing staff taught me how to be a good leader. And my daughter taught me how to mother, which has made me a great mother hen to over 100 employees pre-COVID.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My first stop would be Portland’s Saturday Market, an outdoor market which features artisans and their wares. Since it’s so close, we’d stop at Mother’s Bistro & Bar for Brunch and have a great Eggs Benedict and Bloody Mary. We’d walk off some of the calories at the Chinese garden, strolling through the compact space with perfect feng shui. We’d stop at Powell’s Bookstore on our way to check out 23rd avenue and its unique shops. After shopping a bit, we’d grab a slice of pizza from Escape from New York and people-watch as we nibble. After that we’d drive up to the Japanese Garden, admire its magnificent setting, have a nice cup of tea in the tea house then head over to the Rose Garden for a perfect view of Portland. Exhausted, we’ll go back to our hotel room at The Nines, take a nap, then go out for dinner to Higgins for Northwest Cuisine, and wrap up the night with a drag show at Darcelle’s.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The Culinary Institute of America was the best experience of my life. I got to spend every waking minute cooking, learning or thinking about food. Each chef instructor was unique and shared so much information I was often overcome with tears of joy and gratitude. I did my apprenticeship with Gray Kunz at Lespinasse, where I learned how to be meticulous in the kitchen and precise in everything I do. I owe so much to my husband and partner, Rob Sample, who believed in me and gifted me the seed money I needed so the SBA would loan me the funds necessary to open my first restaurant. I am thankful to my mother who threw me out of her kitchen and didn’t teach me a thing about cooking but fed me excellent meals which she perfected while running her restaurant, “The Little Spot” in downtown Philadelphia. Finally, I’m indebted to Mike Golub, now President of the Portland Timbers soccer team, who helped me with my business plan and made sure my numbers made sense and projections were reasonable.

Website: www.mothersbistro.com

Instagram: mothersbistro

Twitter: mothersbistro or cheflisapdx

Facebook: mothersbistro

Image Credits
Alicia J. Rose Angela Dawn Sarah Griffow