A Good Conversation: Liz Wood, Edd’s Place
A Good Conversation
with Liz Wood
Owner, Edd’s Place
Today, we’re sitting down with chef and Edd’s Place owner Liz Wood who shares about the path and day-to-day that supports her local restaurant.
We all have that friend in our community who’s continuously pursuing good, inspiring others, and giving the most of themselves to see something come to fruition. Liz Wood is this light to her Westbrook community and beyond – bringing real spaces of connection and joy about the gift food can be through her riverside restaurant, Edd’s Place.
Having grown up with Liz, she comes from a creative, ultra-cool and kind family, and she’s more of the same. I remember the day I found out she had purchased Edd’s Place in 2020 (during the height of the pandemic!), feeling so excited that another female entrepreneur had found their way back to our corner of the world to share her talents, skills and expertise.
Upon arrival at Edd’s, you are immediately flooded with notes of nostalgia. Some of you may remember Edd’s Place from back in the day, a cute shoreline cafe that was open for twenty years prior to Liz’s ownership. And while this quaint riverside restaurant was something special worth saving, Liz has taken it and turned it into something incredible with artful, aesthetic and appetizing dishes of elevated American classics and more. It’s evident that Liz is enamored with the different ways ingredients can be put together, and gather others in the process. After a decade of culinary experience on the west coast and south, Liz brought back a little variety and a lot of flavor with her. Aren’t we lucky? If you only had to choose one meal (which I don’t recommend!), go for her dinner seatings this summer on Friday and Saturday evenings from 5-8 pm. The candy-colored sunset views along the river is the cherry on top of the proverbial sundae.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Liz and hearing more about her journey and heart behind this amazing dream she’s seeing through. Read below for the full interview.
“I’m proud of inspiring others to go after what they want. I’ve worked very hard to get to where I am! I want to show others that if you love something and are willing to work hard, it is attainable.”
Introduce us to Edd’s Place + the inspiration behind it!
Edd's Place! I had the opportunity to buy Edd's Place in September 2020. Small business is very important to me and having the option to keep something alive in my hometown was my inspiration.
Tell us about your entrepreneurial journey. How did you get started?
I got started in kitchens, when I moved to LA as a musician. I needed a job and food service was where I found it. After taking an interview to be a pastry chef at a Vegan Restaurant (had no experience, just sounded fun!), I was hired and my food journey began. A few months later I was Executive Pastry Chef and running the bakery department for 3 locations. Vegan food gave me the opportunity to experiment with ingredients and begin recipe creation. After a few years there, I moved on to something a little less demanding and did cake decoration for a cake shop in Santa Monica. I released an album a few years later and moved to Austin, TX after playing SXSW. My food journey continued in Texas working in Pastry for Walton's, then I moved into Savory and worked as a Sous Chef for a catering company Pascal's and finally Sous Chef & Executive Events Chef for a fine dining restaurant Tiny Boxwoods. In 2018 I opened a wholesale Bakery business "Charlie's Pastries" in Austin and supplied several coffee shops and stores with my products. When Covid started in 2020, most of the shops I had supplied had closed because of the pandemic and I was eager to see what was in store for Charlie's. My phone rang one day and it was Edd's Place! Asking me if I'd be interested in purchasing the business. It was a scary time but, the perfect time to take the plunge and move back home to pursue this dream of mine.
What have been some of the biggest roadblocks you’ve faced prior to getting to this point in your career?
There are roadblocks daily! They seem big in the moment but small once they're in the past. Dealing with the roadblocks is a road block!
What’s something you’re most proud of achieving professionally?
I'm proud of inspiring others to go after what they want. I've worked very hard to get to where I am! I want to show others that if you love something and are willing to work hard, it is attainable.
Could you share who has been the most impactful person in your life and career, and why?
By far my parents. My mom is my food inspiration. Watching how her food made others feel and how it brought my family together, is what made me fall in love with cooking. When living far from home, cooking her recipes brought back memories and was comforting. I became obsessed with how local and from scratch food impacts people. My dad inspires me to work hard. He worked tirelessly to be able to support a family of 6 kids and built a successful business from the ground up. He is who I call when I'm about ready to quit and the one that pushes me to keep going and believe in myself.
What’s the most valuable advice you’ve ever received, either professionally or personally?
Fortune favors the bold.
What advice would you give to someone looking to start their entrepreneurial journey?
Keep your eye on the prize and break down the steps to get there.
What are your thoughts on work-life balance?
I actually go to therapy for this specifically. It's a challenge especially because no one really understands how much it takes but you. Prioritizing time is important and being able to say no was big for me.
What’s your favorite thing about your home?
That I live alone! Last week I ate a steak in the bath tub!
What are five things you can’t live without right now?
Well other than the obvious (my family and dogs)..... Coffee, Avocados, My skateboard, Dark Chocolate, A good Sharpie
What inspires you creatively?
Nature!
What does a typical “work” day look like for you?
It looks like a lot of things! Cooking and teaching recipes, business management, building maintenance, customer service! I do it all.
What’s next for you and Edd’s Place?
I'd love to continue my wholesale career and open a commissary kitchen for Edd's Place. Supplying local Coffee shops and Grocery Stores with our product.
To learn more about Liz and Edd’s Place, visit https://www.eddsplacect.com and follow @eddsplacect