The story of La Gala starts in 1995 when Zeljko “Jake” Simic, wife Anelija “Nella” Simic, and daughter Gabi immigrated to the United States from war-torn Bosnia and Herzegovina to Bowling Green, Kentucky. Their second daughter, Laurie, was shortly born two months later becoming the first generation American citizen.

 

Jake’s passion for the restaurant business started in Bosnia, but then transitioned to the U.S. when he opened Brickyard Cafe in 1998 on Chestnut Street. It quickly became a booming restaurant serving daily specials with a Mediterranean and Italian twist. 

 

After booking more and more off-site catering and offering a small banquet hall for receptions and birthday parties at Brickyard, Jake realized that having an event venue space separate from the restaurant would be a staple in the growing downtown Bowling Green area. 

 

In 2013, La Gala was established. Fun fact: La Gala was named after Jake’s family: “La” for Laurie, “Ga” for Gabi and “La” as the ending of Nella’s name. What used to be an old car dealership turned into a 10,000 square foot space for weddings, corporate events, you name it! 

Laurie joined in on the family business officially in 2021 (unofficially since 1998) and acts as the current event manager for the space. La Gala is proud to be an immigrant and family owned business that strives to provide the best quality of service Bowling Green has to offer!