Laura Johnson-Lachowecki

The Path

Technical training at Fox Valley Technical College in 2012 gave Laura Johnson-Lachowecki a formal base before she entered professional kitchens. In the same year, her internship with University of Notre Dame Food Services began a working relationship that would continue to expand. The line cook role at Sliders Bar & Grill in Menasha, Wisconsin added the pressure of live service: the kind of station work where repetition has to hold and timing has to land. Within University of Notre Dame Food Services, Laura Johnson-Lachowecki’s responsibilities widened across production and oversight. She is now floor chef of University of Notre Dame Food Services department, baker of University of Notre Dame Food Services, and supervisor of pastry orders for catering services of four-star hotel on Notre Dame’s campus. Those roles place her across different parts of the operation, moving between baking, coordination, and supervision.

The Work Today

As a baker at University of Notre Dame Food Services in Notre Dame, Indiana, Laura Johnson-Lachowecki works in a setting where consistency matters every day. The job sits between routine service and higher-volume catering demands, requiring steady execution and close attention to finish. It is the kind of post where repetition is not a shortcut but the basis of the craft.

Signature

Laura's signature dishes include blown sugar Flounder and pulled sugar rose. Both pieces use sugar as structure, not just sweetness, and require control in shaping as well as patience in handling. The work points to a pastry practice that includes sculptural technique alongside service production.

In Their Words Her own words place her work inside a broader field of peers: “I am humbled to have competed alongside chefs Rodrigo Domingono Nunez Jr. And David Lewis, as they are both very talented and distinguished pastry chefs.” The statement reflects competition as a working measure of skill, not a performance of ego. She also credits the workplace support around her development: “I would not be where I am today without the support of Executive Chef Donald Miller, CEC, CCE, AAC, and others at University of Notre Dame.” The note points to the role of institutional backing in shaping a kitchen career over time.

Acclaim

Laura's honors include American Culinary Federation Pastry Chef of the Year (2015) and gold medal, Wisconsin Restaurant Association College Culinary Arts Competition. Those recognitions sit alongside the daily work: a record of skill that has been acknowledged in competition as well as in service. In that mix of production, pastry order management, and technical execution, Laura Johnson-Lachowecki has built a profile grounded in craft and consistency.