03 Feb How Southeast Business Startup Helped the Polish Kitchen
Since opening in April 2019, the Polish Kitchen and owner Aleksandra Szlapacka have been serving lunch and selling a variety of homemade pierogis and cabbage rolls at their flagship store on Kensington Ave. In that short time, the business has expanded into catering and is now selling product in over 10 stores. Recently in January, the Polish Kitchen opened their new manufacturing facility on 6th St. in Estevan.
The pandemic forced Alex and her team to transition the business to a retail partner model, selling in a growing number of stores across the province. The need for a dedicated manufacturing facility was realized during the fall months as more orders and new retailers started to come in. With a lot of hard work and help from Southeast Business Startup Manager Jeff Taylor, Szlapacka was able to turn the idea of a manufacturing facility into a reality.
“When we started in the Kensington store, we never planned to be mass producing our products and we just didn’t have enough space to fit everything. That’s when I realized that I would need to rent a new space to accommodate the production” Aleksandra said of her expansion. “I was looking for business programs and grants when I came across Jeff at Southeast Business Startup. He has been very helpful and provided a lot of knowledge and resources to help with the business plan, grant applications and accounting.” Szlapacka also praised the benefit of having these programs available for free as cost would have inhibited her from accessing the support.
Southeast Business Startup is available to local business owners and entrepreneurs and Manager, Jeff Taylor says this is a great example of how the centre’s free services can be used “I was able to help with their transition into a corporation and assist with the required CRA paperwork and accounting transition. I also worked with Economic Development Board Member and Southern Plains Co-op Manager, Brian Enns to help connect Aleksandra with more potential retail partners to help sell the product.”
The Polish Kitchen, known for their traditional handmade pierogis and cabbage rolls, now distributes product for sale in stores in Estevan, Oxbow, Carlyle, Weyburn and Regina as well as their standalone store at 421A Kensington Ave. The Kensington location also sells lunch every day. The Polish Kitchen now employs a staff of 7 people, and Aleksandra continues to meet with stores and restaurant food suppliers to explore new partnership opportunities for her products.
To learn more about how Southeast Business Startup could help you, or to contact Jeff, visit: www.southeastbusinessstartup.ca