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Entrepreneurs: Alex Hoeksema
Published
10 years agoon
Occupation?
Owner of The Lotus Pad restaurant
Age?
41
Where did you learn to ski?
Big Sky
Where do you live now?
Big Sky
If you weren’t doing this, what would you do instead?
I would be a private detective. That’s my dream job.
Alex Hoeksema got her first job when she was 14, scooping ice cream at Swenson’s in a Woodbridge, Va. mall.
“I developed a really strong muscle in my thumb that never went away,” she says, laughing.
It’s that raucous laugh – and really good fresh food – that draws patrons to the restaurant she and her husband Scott own in Big Sky.
On a Tuesday night during the offseason, the Lotus Pad was packed. Many other joints in town were shut down, but $10 entrees all week kept business bustling at the small, hip Thai restaurant in West Fork Plaza.
A graduate of the prestigious California Culinary Academy, Hoeksema has worked in restaurants for more than 20 years, and spent a year living and traveling in Thailand before opening the Lotus Pad.
Since opening in 2007, the Lotus Pad has grown between 15 and 20 percent annually, Hoeksema said.
While growth is good, space is an issue and it can be hard to find good help, Hoeksema said, noting the lack of affordable housing in Big Sky. This past winter, the restaurant was sometimes so busy it had to turn away as many parties as it served in an evening, she said.
But Hoeksema loves it.
“I love to cook. That’s totally my passion… Before the Lotus Pad, I was cooking for everybody. Anyone who knows me knew the Lotus Pad was going to happen.”
-Emily Wolfe
Megan Paulson is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Outlaw Partners.
Upcoming Events
april, 2024
Event Type :
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Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
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Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
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Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.
Sundays, April 14, 21 and 28, 2024
Noon until 6PM.
$170.
Time
14 (Sunday) 12:00 pm - 28 (Sunday) 6:00 pm
Event Details
Trivia from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Waypoint in Town Center. Participation is free, food and beverages available.
Event Details
Trivia from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Waypoint in Town Center. Participation is free, food and beverages available.
Time
(Wednesday) 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location
The Waypoint
50 Ousel Falls Rd