Meet April Canlas Eddy | Illustrator | Hand Drawn Restaurants

We had the good fortune of connecting with April Canlas Eddy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi April, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Hand Drawn Restaurants began in late 2023 as a spontaneous month-long drawing challenge to break out of a creative rut. Like many artists with another career, I was feeling super burned out at the time, so I turned to drawing to reconnect with my creativity.

I committed to illustrating one restaurant a day and sharing it on Instagram (@HandDrawnRestaurants), along with a few paragraphs about each spot. As the month passed, people began sharing their own stories over DM about how much certain restaurants meant to them. Others would recommend new restaurants for me to try or suggest places for me to illustrate next. Their enthusiasm and connection inspired me to continue drawing and posting well after the 30 days was up, and I’ve now drawn over 100 restaurants.

In late 2024, I turned this project into a business by launching an online shop (www.handdrawnrestaurants.com) where I sell limited edition art prints. Since then, I’ve completed private artwork commissions, had my illustrations used on restaurant merchandise, and am now working on expanding the product offerings on my website.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I initially started Hand Drawn Restaurants as a personal creative project, but it has quickly evolved into much more, including an online shop (www.handdrawnrestaurants.com) where I sell limited edition prints of my illustrations.

To me, restaurants are places of connection. We go to restaurants to celebrate milestones, and when life gets a little rough, restaurants are there to feed us a familiar and comforting meal.

So many of my favorite memories have been made while sitting around a table full of food, trading plates and stories with the people I love, and I try to capture those a bit of those moments through my illustrations. I grew up in Los Angeles where the culture around food is especially vibrant, so a lot of my artwork celebrates the diversity of Southern California restaurants and neighborhoods.

When I think about why I’ve continued to build upon this body of work, I feel called to keep finding meaningful and creative ways to be of service to others. As I plan the second half of the year with Hand Drawn Restaurants, one of my biggest goals is to explore deeper, more impactful ways to support the restaurant industry and give back to the people who pour so much into serving their communities every single day.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I can pack A LOT of action into a week in Southern California – Every neighborhood and area has so much to offer, and you can easily fill several full days exploring the city and still have a lot more to see.

Since my artwork focuses on restaurants, there are obviously a ton of food stops involved! Here it goes:

Downtown LA / Little Tokyo / Chinatown / Chavez Ravine

Explore Grand Central Market for coffee and breakfast and take a short walk over to take in some art The Broad and MOCA. After that, hit up Little Tokyo for lunch at Men Oh for ramen or Chinchikurin for okonomiyaki, followed by some great shopping. A short ride on the Metro takes you to Chinatown for tea and a stop at Phoenix Bakery for a slice of their iconic strawberry cake and almond cookies before heading to Chavez Ravine for a Dodgers Game.

Beverly Grove / Miracle Mile / West Hollywood

Start off the day at Cofax for a bacon breakfast burrito and a horchata latte, followed by a few hours visiting Museum Row – LACMA, the LaBrea Tar Pits, The Craft Contemporary, and The Academy Museum. A hop over to The Original Farmer’s Market to wander the aisles and stalls and grab a bite for lunch followed by a walk and shopping around WeHo and the Design District. The evening would be a night full of comedy at Largo, the Hollywood Improv, or The Comedy Store, or a take in a show at my favorite LA venue, The Troubadour.

Hollywood / Hancock Park / Koreatown

The weather in LA is always perfect for a long hike with beautiful views at Griffith Park, then off to Los Feliz for a plate of tacos at Best Fish Taco in Ensenada. Later in the day, meet up with friends and head to Cinespia at Hollywood Forever or KBBQ at Soot Bull Jip in Koreatown and late-night karaoke at Palm Tree Karaoke.

The Valley

A visit to LA would not be complete without a drive over the hill to visit to where I grew up – The San Fernando Valley. First stop would be breakfast at Porto’s Bakery in Burbank for their iconic Cheese Rolls and Potato Balls. My husband surprised me with a helicopter ride over all of LA from Lite Flight Helicopters in Van Nuys for my birthday a few years ago. It was one of the best experiences of my life and is the absolute best way to appreciate the beauty of LA as a visitor – From the sky! After a helicopter adventure would be a drive to seek out a rainbow umbrella to enjoy a snack of cold, freshly cut fruit with Tajin and lime from the local frutero, then off to The Valley Relics Museum, which is a must-see place for anyone wanting to know more about the Valley’s rich history. The day would wrap up with the omakase at Sushi Tomoki, which is my current favorite sushi spot in the Valley, and a drop into The Baked Potato next door for some live jazz. Maybe a Hot Fudge Cake at Bob’s Big Boy if a dessert craving hits late night!

Culver City / Palms / Marina Del Rey / Venice

Start the day off in Culver City at Helms Bakery and browsing around HD Buttercup and the Helms Design District along with a hop over to Platform and a walk through Downtown Culver City. A quick lunch stop in Palms for the OG Oklahoma Fried Onion smashburger in LA, Tripp Burgers, then on to Marina Del Rey for a few hours on the water with Marina Del Rey Parasailing. The rest of the day would be spent walking around Venice, with a stop into Hinano Café for a drink, then to The Cook’s Garden on Abbot Kinney for dinner at Fiorelli Pizza.

The Beach Cities

You can’t spend a full week in LA without a proper beach outing. The South Bay is the perfect way to spend a mellow day in the sunshine. Start the morning in Redondo Beach and grab a breakfast burrito at Phanny’s or Brother’s Burritos. Head down The Strand on foot or rent a bike for the day. Take your time exploring Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach, work on your tan and look for dolphins breaching in the horizon. The best way to wrap up the day is to catch the sunset off the Hermosa Beach pier and then head over to Playa Hermosa for a glass of white wine and a bowl of the best clam chowder in LA.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’m fortunate to have a story built around the people I love, and these are mine:

My husband, Josh – The biggest decision of my life was also the easiest. Josh is my best friend and without question, the best person I have ever known. He makes even the most ordinary day feel like magic.

My Mom and Dad – As immigrants from the Philippines, my parents both took big chances, embraced uncertainty, and committed to an unknown future, often without a roadmap or a safety net. Learning from them gave me the confidence to bet on myself, to be generous towards others, and build something meaningful with my resources and talents.

My Big Filipino Family – I’m an only child, but I was never lonely growing up with grandparents, aunties, uncles, and all of my cousins around. When you hear my loud and boisterous laugh, you’ll hear every one of them.

My Dearest Friends – My chosen family. Through every stage of life, I’ve been so lucky to be surrounded by genuinely good people who constantly inspire me just by being themselves.

And of course, an extra special shout out to everyone who has supported Hand Drawn Restaurants. All your kind messages, shares, likes, comments, and print purchases mean the world to me and encourage me to keep dreaming big.

Website: https://www.handdraawnrestaurants.com

Instagram: @handdrawnrestaurants