With 14 different types of macaroni and cheese to offer, Sweet Lorraine’s Fabulous Mac ‘n Cheez! offers students a taste of home cooking.

Behind the operation are Lorraine Platman and her husband, Gary Sussman. The couple are no strangers to East Lansing — they were both MSU students at one point before transferring to other schools.

The State News spoke with sweet Lorraine herself about her time at MSU, owning a business and looking into the future of her restaurant.

The State News: You and your husband attended Michigan State for a few years before transferring. How long were you here and what were your majors?

Lorraine Platman: Gary went in 1970 and I went in ‘74. He was a physics undergraduate and I was in fine arts. We were 3 years apart and I met him just before moving up here. We both lived in Snyder-Phillips.

SN: What was it like to live and work in  Snyder-Phillips Hall?

LP: I was one of those people that was actually paying for my education so I worked three jobs when I was in school. I worked in the dishroom and I also worked in the continuing education library as a librarian and just doing odd jobs for offices. But I thought the campus was gorgeous and wish I’d had more time to enjoy it.

SN: How did you start making macaroni and cheese?

LP: I started when I was in Girl Scouts. I moved from England in the ‘60s, and in Girl Scounts, we went down to Consumer’s Power, and they had a whole program where they showed us how to cook macaroni on a gas stove. I came home and showed my parents and they thought it was strange, we didn’t have that kind of food in England. The funny thing is, the first time I made a home-cooked meal for my husband — it was mac and cheese. It runs in my blood.

SN: Where did the idea to start a business come from? What has the experience been like?

LP: We’ve been in restaurant business for over 30 years. (Lorraine Platman and Gary Sussman own two Sweet Lorraine’s Cafe and Bars and 3 Mac n’ Cheez! locations, with two more coming in the future.) Ten years ago, when the economy was really bad, people wanted more comfort food. I said to my husband, “Everybody loves mac and cheese.’” Just knew it would be a good seller for us. I started playing around with it. I came up with 21 recipes before I came to the one I have now. This was harder because I was trying to get at people’s hearts. I don’t make traditional mac and cheese. The fact that I have an imagination and always thinking, “What else can I do?” If I can get cheese curds from Michigan State, how cool would that be?

SN: What is your favorite part about running a business?

LP: I love seeing people smile, particularly with mac and cheese. I wish I could have a camera with me. It’s such a nice feeling. Here I am out with the public on the food line and people come up to me and say, “This is amazing” or “This is heaven in a bowl.” That’s gratifying, to know I can make people smile like that.

SN: What is the hardest part of running a business?

LP: Here, at Michigan State, it’s getting the schedule to work. But getting people in the door hasn’t been hard.

SN: Why did you decide to open a restaurant in East Lansing?

LP: We always thought Mac n’ Cheez! was going to be a university student’s dream. We were looking for quite awhile before we found the space. And when we found the space, we loved the space. Right across from the art museum, and my background is art. It’s a match made in heaven: college students and mac and cheese.

SN: You had your grand opening last week. How was that?

LP: Since opening, the week has been great. People have been willing to wait since we were a little slower (opening). I’ve seen many people who have been here one, two, three times already. I know the word is out, and people like it a lot. We hope to start delivering soon.

SN: What are your goals for Mac n’ Cheez!?

LP: We would like to open up in college towns across the country. My goal for this is to continue growing. I still have the spark in my belly to do it. Hopefully I can get cheese curds (from the Dairy Store) and that will show up on our specials board next week.

Editor's note: This article has been edited. Lorraine Platman was was incorrectly referred to as Lorraine Sussman.