About the Chef and Co-Owner
The owner of Panela was born and raised in the city of Medellin, Colombia. She arrived in the USA at the age of 15 and attended Lowell High School. After graduating high school she decided to follow her dream of becoming a chef and studied at Le Cordon Blue. Upon graduation, she began her career at various restaurants where she learned the art of culinary and fine dining. She started from the bottom and since has held the executive chef position for a prestigious restaurant where she was not allowed to be creative due to corporate regulations. She decided it was time to join forces with her parents and brother to open a Colombian restaurant that would showcase the fine dining experience she has with Colombian ingredients and traditional flavors.