Ann Kim
Chef/Owner
Ann Kim is the chef/owner of Young Joni, Pizzeria Lola, and Hello Pizza. A Korean immigrant, she credits her culinary palate to helping her mother and grandmother at an early age make traditional staples such as fermented bean paste and kimchi. She graduated with a BA in English from New York’s Columbia University where sustenance often came in the form of a daily cheese slice from a fair number of ubiquitous corner pizza shops. These formative pizza eating years laid the foundation for her dream of someday bringing great pizza to Minnesota, and her years as a freelance actor fostered her value of creativity, the art of the hustle and storytelling. In 2010 she opened her first restaurant, Pizzeria Lola, an artisan wood fired pizzeria that has been lauded both locally and nationally. Her second restaurant, Hello Pizza, is an East Coast inspired slice shop and frequently tops Best of Lists. Young Joni, which opened in late 2016, features an eclectic wood fire-inspired menu and has been named one of the Best New Restaurants in America 2017 by GQ magazine and Eater National. Most recently, the Minneapolis Star Tribune named Young Joni 2017 Restaurant of the Year. Ann received her first James Beard Award semifinalist nomination in 2017 and was a 2018 finalist in the category of “Best Chef Midwest.”