LK at Findlay Market
Ryan Lillis, Co-owner of LK at Findlay Market
Findlay Market has a long history intertwined with the Eckerlin/Lillis family. Ryan Lillis, owner of LK, started working at Eckerlin Meats when he was just 15 years old. Ryan tells us that the lessons he learned from his family members while working at Eckerlin Meats, specifically from his uncle Bob Lillis, were invaluable.
“I feel like I learned more working at Findlay Market than I did in college,” says Ryan.
When Ryan ventured into opening his own business at Findlay Market, his family was more than supportive and helpful in every respect.
Ryan met John Knodel while working at Eckerlin Meats. They bonded over their love of food and Findlay Market and soon became good friends. When the opportunity arose to start a business at the market, the pair jumped at the chance to partner and created LK (Lillis-Knodel).
LK opened in the spring of 2020. To many, opening a business during the pandemic seemed like an almost impossible feat. To Ryan, however, it was an interesting experience that actually helped his business prosper.
“All the restaurants were closed which left a lot of people cooking at home, so in a way, the pandemic helped the market and retail food businesses, specifically,” says Ryan.
Ryan strives to put his customers first and to do everything he can for them. Since opening, he has not altered their sausage prices. “I think it’s resonating because we are getting a lot of support that we are eternally grateful for. It’ll be interesting to see where the next several years take us,” says Ryan.
There’s so much you can learn through simple interactions at the market. There are so many different backgrounds of people who walk through the doors at Findlay Market, and the special part of being here is developing relationships with those customers to understand different perspectives, not just about food and recipes, but about life.
“You develop these relationships with your customers and you become friends. It’s unbelievable how the people that I met are now people that I go to dinner with or hang out at their house,” says Ryan.
Ryan tells us that the people at the market are the main reason why he wanted to start his business here. He feels fortunate to have been able to learn from everyone at Findlay Market, from his employees to the business owners and customers.
Published January 2023