After working in restaurants as everything from a hostess and a line cook to the operations manager for a Michelin Star and James Beard award-winning chef, Fort Lauderdale native Catherine Mac Dowall moved to Louisville to open her own veggie-centric restaurant concept. What began as a farmers market venture in 2016 is now a catering company, wholesale business, and brick-and-mortar restaurant, Naïve. Meet our newest FACE of Louisville, Catherine Mac Dowall!
Meet Catherine Mac Dowall, owner of Naïve and our newest FACE of Louisville!
What is Naïve, and how did it come to be?
Naïve is a seasonal, vegetable-forward restaurant concept that sustainably sources all our proteins and vegetables — and serves them in really interesting ways! We are not a vegan restaurant, which is the biggest misconception. We serve every single type of protein, and we do it well.
We started out as a pop-up tent at a local farmers’ market six years ago. Our initial goal was to connect local farmers with affordable local cuisine because, for so long, you could only find local produce in the confined cells of fine dining. At the time, there were no other restaurants in town that were helping the economy by supporting local farmers; no one was offering their products in dishes at an everyday price point. We saw it as a good opportunity to open a restaurant that someone could visit multiple times a week; we wanted it to be an all-day experience. Right off the bat, we knew we’d offer lunch and dinner for sure. We started serving brunch shortly after, and it’s been a journey ever since.
You mentioned that when you opened Naïve, there was nothing like it in Louisville. Where did the idea come from?
After college, I moved to Washington, D.C., where I was the operations manager for José Andrés, a humanitarian and global chef. Up until that point, I had only worked in the day-to-day operations within the hospitality industry — hosting, serving, bartending, and that kind of thing. I had never really been on the back end of creating these interesting concepts that were new to the United States. So, I learned a lot while working with José’s team for four years. At the time, he was bringing Beefsteak to D.C. It’s a Chipotle-style, local vegetable concept. He recognized that people could only get local produce at fine-dining restaurants, and he decided to do something about it.
After working on a couple of those stores, I got kind of burnt out on the city and decided to move to be closer to family. Louisville became home, and I decided to take inspiration from the Beefsteak concept and create something similar here.
Before opening Naïve, Catherine worked her way up the industry ladder as a hostess, line cook, and every job in between until she became the operations manager for Michelin Star- and James Beard Award-winning chef José Andrés.
The dishes at Naïve focus on a vegetarian lifestyle with options to include all dietary preferences.
Why the name, Naïve?
When I was 25, I had all these grandiose ideas — and when I thought of owning this restaurant, I wanted to do everything differently. I thought to myself, No one can get local produce at an affordable price, so I’ll offer that; not many small-scale restaurants are open for lunch and dinner, but mine will be; other restaurants don’t pay a livable wage, but I will.
It was a different way of thinking and a different way of seeing the world. I think the definition of naïve is walking through life with rose-colored glasses and having a different approach. Thankfully, that different approach has made us extraordinarily successful.
You’ve since grown the Naïve brand to include a restaurant, a catering company, and a wholesale business. What’s the best part about what you do?
No two days are ever the same! My calendar is never lined up; it’s never really structured. There’s always something new happening, so I get to be creative. I think up new events we can put on and come up with interesting ways to handle our social media and branding. I love being able to take time to train and teach our employees and to promote them in-house.
I have some employees that have been with me since the beginning. To have them on this journey with me, walking the path that I’m walking, is truly what gets me out of bed every single day. I love my employees so much, and I’m so grateful for each and every one of them. Without them, I absolutely could not do this on my own.
On the flip side, what’s the most challenging aspect of owning a restaurant?
It’s the same thing — not a single day that is the same. Though it’s fun and allows me to be creative, I also need to think critically, and I’m always on my toes. The School of YouTube helps me out so much. If there is a leak in the restaurant, or we’re not doing something as well as I think we should be, I’ll dive a little deeper and do some research.
Whatever our problems may be, they’re not unique. Everyone else in this industry goes through the same struggles. So, when we have challenges, I’ll do some research or talk to other people in the industry that I’m friends with. They’re all going through the same thing, and I think it’s a great experience to be on this ride.
What are a few popular dishes you’d recommend to a Naïve newbie?
About half of our menu changes seasonally, but one of the really popular dishes that is always available is General Tso’s cauliflower, which was originally a play on General Tso’s chicken. We also have an incredible roasted sweet potato — it’s all about the toppings, and it’s roasted in an interesting way. And we have a beet margarita that has been on the menu since day one, which is made with beets that we fresh-press in-house. We also have a CBD brownie made with local zucchini.
The Naïve waffle is made with stewed apples, streusel topping, coconut caramel, and pepitas. Image: Catherine Mac Dowall
The yuzu bars at Naïve boast blackberry jam, vanilla, and shortbread.
What is the best advice you’ve ever given or received?
Another restaurant owner told me to always keep pushing. If you ever let your foot off the gas, there’s going to be someone right behind you that is going to want to take your spot. Also, always be flexible enough to be adaptable.
Aside from faith, family, and friends, what are three things you can’t live without?
I cannot live without my phone, some form of notepad, and a credit card — because someone’s always asking me to buy something for the restaurant!
All photography by Amy Barber.
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