A story of patience and persistence
Please allow me to tell you a story about two wonderful people who grew up right in the heart of Cleveland, Ohio, and the business that they have created. Long term residents of the “old neighborhood” hovering around Fleet Avenue and known as Slavic Village, Dave & Nancy Abramowski are the creators and proprietors of Babushka’s Kitchen and the parent company, Babushka Foods, LLC. The road to Babushka’s Kitchen has been long, but we are very glad that we can share our family’s heritage with you.
Our family found itself venturing into food service in 1990 when my parents found themselves in the position of being outsourced, downsized, and pretty much removed from the traditional corporate America (as many Northeast Ohioans have experienced). With three teenaged children and bills to pay, the couple searched for an answer.
The entrepreneurial spirit of these two Americans kicked in when the going looked the toughest. They decided to take matters into their own hands. They knew that working for someone else didn’t have the stability in which they were brought up to believe. They made the decision to go into business for themselves. Calling upon the years of cooking and creating for their own company picnics, golf outings, and family get-togethers, they read and studied and practiced until they were ready to start a small catering company in Kent, Ohio. Dave, his son and two daughters outfitted a small catering kitchen while Nancy went looking for business. For several years, “Caterworks” provided top quality foods and catering services for Northeast Ohio.
Although the summers were good for business, the winters in Ohio were cold and lonely for a caterer. It’s a time of year when catering goes quiet and there is little work to be had. Dave & Nancy wanted to keep their employees in paychecks and their business bills paid, so they looked for a niche market to supplement the catering business. Nancy experimented with and perfected a recipe for the best pierogi you ever tasted. They realized that there was an opportunity to provide these pillows of polish pasta to restaurants, churches and civic groups who were looking for just the perfect product. They started a business called “Stash’s Pierogis” to help them through the winter rut. Almost instantly, Stash’s became a hit. Nancy secret family recipe was different from the other pierogi on the market, and the customers just loved them. They were able to relocate to a larger facility because within a year, they were inundated with customers that carried the Stash’s Pierogi brand (and those who sold them as their own). Adding to their accolades as they built their business, Stash’s Pierogis won “Best Pierogi in Ohio” at the Ohio Pierogi Cookoff, a title that has never been challenged. They created a website called slavicvillage.com and started to ship their product all over the country.
But fate soon had other plans. A developer purchased the property they had leased and decided to tear down the building to make way for heavy industry. By this time, my parents were old hats at taking lemons and making lemonade. They decided to stop production on the Stash’s Pierogi line until they could resurrect it and design a new facility. In the meantime, they moved their catering business to an office building in downtown Akron where they opened a corporate luncheon café. They learned the ins and outs of the workings of a restaurant over their service counter. Every day, Nancy, Dave and the staff would prepare specials that would delight the building’s office workers. But these two entrepreneurs wanted a business where they could let their ideas fly and bring delicious and unique Polish heritage foods to their customers.
This brings us to Babushka’s Kitchen, opening Christmastime 2004. Dave & Nancy have joined forces once again with their kids in Babushka Foods, LLC. Nancy has always had a dream of owning her own little restaurant where she could make delicious ethnic foods in a friendly and charming environment. Once again, Dave and the family team outfitted a kitchen to call home for the business. But this time it’s different, because they now know so much more about customers, products, resources and creating the best foods possible.
This kitchen is a commercial version of your Grandmother’s house, with the smells and flavors that will bring back memories. It’s an open kitchen where you can see what we’re doing and how we handle your food. It’s a place where you can see that we love to cook, we love to create, and we love to show it off to our customers. Babushka’s Kitchen is the culmination of experience from all of these years, and we know you are going to really enjoy it.
The best news of all: Stash’s Pierogis are back! Yes, that’s right, the Best Pierogi in the Land can be found right in our deli counter. We manufacture them right here on premises along with all of our other homemade foods and fresh bakery. Even though we still own the name “Stash’s,” we have changed the name to “Babushka’s Pierogi” to harmonize with our restaurant, but they are the same award-winning recipe that you loved before.
Thanks for taking the time to learn the story behind Babushka’s. Our business shows the true spirit of entrepreneurs. Take a drive this week to Babushka’s Kitchen in Northfield Center. Bring your family, tell your friends, and take some of our foods home with you to share. When you stop by Babushka’s, take a moment to meet my parents, my sister Beth, and our terrific staff. They’ll be very glad that you came.
“ Dziekuje!” (Thank you!)
Patrick Abramowski
Babushka Foods, LLC