Conversations with Laura Lopez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Lopez.

Hi Laura, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
About a year ago, I saw a news segment on By the Bucket Payson. It definitely intrigued me and got my full attention. I mentioned it to my husband and told him we should take a drive up North to check it out. So we did! Our two kids, Alexandra “Alex”, who’s 12 and Aidan, who’s 10, both LOVE spaghetti as do my husband and I, so the fact we were going to get it in a bucket, sounded too good to be true!

The location, at the time, was off the main road in Payson; and if you blink, you’d miss it! There were no tables, no fancy menus, nor any wait staff to take your order. There was only a gentleman standing behind the counter welcoming us in and eager to take our order. Lo and behold he was the owner. The aroma of garlic and butter filled the place up and made us even more hungry!

After hearing the owner’s story and how this concept came about, he mentions to me he was in the process of selling licenses. It was at that moment, I literally envisioned my own location, from the location, to the decor, etc. I excitedly told him to definitely keep me posted because I was seriously interested in one of his licenses.

We then took our Buckets filled with hot spaghettini and meatballs and our garlic bread and headed to the nearest park because as I mentioned before, there was no seating at his location ; which was just another detail that was so appealing to me. Keeping it Simple! What a concept!

Approximately four months later we purchased our license and about Six months after that we opened our doors to By the Bucket Ahwatukee!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. Due to COVID, there was always a struggle to get in touch/contact with real LIVE humans! Everywhere we called, there were always answering machines and/or “robots” trying to assist you. It was so frustrating, to say the least. It definitely took us a little longer to open than we had expected. We had never owned and/or managed a restaurant/take out place before. So all the “unknowns” kept piling up as were the stress levels and frustrations.

My background has always been in the hospitality/service industry. I’ve waited tables, bartended, held various positions at hotels such as Front Desk Agent, Concierge, Sales Assistant and finally Sales Manager. I had worked in the hospitality industry for over 30 years. I even have a BS in Business Management. However, my experiences, skills, even degree seemed to be useless when preparing and planning to open your OWN business.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
By the Bucker Ahwatukee’s main goal is to always achieve a high level of customer satisfaction with the services and products that we provide. We offer another option to “Take Out Cuisine”. Serving spaghetti and meatballs, fresh made garlic bread, meatball subs, cold beverages and even NY Style Cheesecake or Tiramisu for dessert.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
Some of my most favorite childhood memories revolve around my extended family: Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, to my Brother and Parents. We are a very close Family, especially my Brother and I. We celebrated Holidays together, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Graduations, etc. We were always there for one another; to this day. Family is EVERYTHING to me. It is the root of your being, it shapes, molds and makes you who you are.

As a child, I loved spending time with my family. Whether it was taking in a sporting event with my family, visiting my Grandparents and enjoying my Grandmother’s home cooking, summer vacations with my brother and parents, or spending time with my Aunts and Uncle; I knew I’d be making a treasured memory.

Contact Info:

• Email: btbtukee@gmail.com
• Website: https://www.bythebuckettukee.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/by_the_bucket__ahwatukee_az?utm_medium=copy_link