Wisconsin restaurant owner wins grant to strengthen American Black food traditions

A sandwich shop in Menasha recently received a grant aimed at supporting Black-owned restaurants. 

Chicago’s House of Hoagies is one of three Wisconsin restaurants that received a grant from condiment giant Heinz. The company is partnering with the Lee Initiative and Southern Restaurants for Racial Justice to administer more than $1 million in grants per year.  

Lona Young is the owner of Chicago’s House of Hoagies. A Chicago native herself, she moved to Wisconsin about 25 years ago. She founded the restaurant in 2019 after a Facebook post she made spun into a catering business and ultimately a standalone restaurant in 2020.  

“Mind you, when I started the construction, literally, COVID happened,” Young told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today.” “When I walked in the finished product, I was like, ‘Oh my God, this young lady from the south side of Chicago is doing great things.’” 

Young shared more with “Wisconsin Today” about her business and how hoagies tell her story.

The following was edited for clarity and brevity.

Kate Archer Kent: Have you thought about how you’ll put the grant you received recently to use?

Lona Young: I used it on taxes and some repairs that I needed to get done at the restaurant — those little things you don’t really think about when you’re sitting down doing your business plan and mapping everything out. You forget that the garbage disposal might go out. I need to put funds aside for that. Or maybe the refrigerator goes out, and you bought it and it only has a one year warranty. All those little expenses add up quickly, and these are things that you have to keep doing in order to keep your business open.

KAK: I understand the hoagies on your menu are named after different neighborhoods and landmarks from your childhood in Chicago. Why name them after these places and neighborhoods?

LY: I’m from Chicago. When people see the name, the first thing they ask: “Are you from Chicago?” And then they always want to put you to the test. Well, I wanted to be ahead of the game. 

So I made sure that each one of my hoagies told you where I am from, what neighborhoods I hung out or where me and my friends hung out. For example, I have a Ford City Hoagie that’s going to tell my Chicago people like, “Oh my God, her and her friends hung out at the Ford City Mall. She’s legit.” I’m from Altgeld housing projects. I have a hoagie called Altgeld Gardens. They’re going to (say), “Oh, she’s from out south. She’s from 131st and Michigan. She’s the real deal. She knows how we like our food.”

People want to know that you’re authentic. If they walk into a New York deli, they want to feel like they’re walking into that bodega in their neighborhood. If people walk into a Chicago restaurant, they want to feel like they’re walking into their neighborhood.

KAK: Do you have a New Year’s resolution for yourself or for Chicago’s House of Hoagies for 2025?

LY: A lot of people don’t know that I have a “feed the children” (initiative) that I do in my restaurant. If any child walks in my restaurant and tells me that they’re hungry, there’s no questions asked. I feed them. I don’t need to know your story. I don’t need to know any of that. I’m going to feed you. 

Once a year, I did a “feed the community” event where I fed the community, no questions asked. It was free to the community. I did free face painting for the kids, (offered a) free bounce house. We gave away free diapers as well as ties for men that were trying to get back into the workforce. We fed everybody — no matter race, color, creed, age, whatever. If you’re hungry and you need to eat, come and eat.