PETOSKEY — For Mike and Holly Kotz, preserving tradition has been just one guiding basic principle as they’ve produced their Shed Village Pierogi company.
“Our mission assertion is, ‘Honor the useless, feed the residing,’” mentioned Mike, who with his wife, relocated the Polish foods venture from Grand Rapids to Petoskey this calendar year.
Misplaced Village specializes in the stuffed dumplings acknowledged as pierogi alongside with other Polish fare. Launched 3 many years back, the company has supplied these food items through channels these as farmers marketplaces and its own store, with Dropped Village also distributing packaged pierogi by using some Michigan supermarkets.
Like his wife, Kotz is originally from the Detroit region. He has some Polish ancestry, and remembers a childhood in which various relatives generally served up food items from that lifestyle. Mike stated adhering to his grandmother’s dying, he ran into difficulties obtaining pierogis as interesting as the types she had built. Employing his grandmother’s dough recipe as a guide, he and Holly at some point resolved to try out renewing a loved ones culinary tradition.
With the Kotzes’ pierogi finding a next among household and good friends, Mike claimed the strategy for a company venture commenced to arise. It finally became a whole-time perform pursuit. Mike sold his screen printing company, and Holly took a leave of absence — and later on resigned — from her English-educating occupation to enable see it via.
Alongside with common flavors these kinds of as potato and cheese and kielbasa and kraut, Missing Village’s pierogi menu also contains a broad range of other selections, ranging from Philly cheesesteak to jalapeno popper to a breakfast pierogi. Potato pancakes and kapusta are among the the other Polish foods options out there.
Mike stated by a 12 months or so ago, the business had started out to outgrow its professional kitchen. With changes desired, a holiday vacation to Northern Michigan earlier this calendar year aided the Kotzes recognize a new direction. The pair quickly took a liking to the Petoskey location, and uncovered that a restaurant house downtown was out there for rent.
The Kotzes have employed quite a few “pop-up” product sales to introduce their pierogi to Northern Michigan buyers, and accomplished some gratifying outcomes. For case in point, they ready for one particular pop-up party in a parking large amount together M-119 with what they figured would be enough inventory to past four times, and sold all of it in two.
For now, the Kotzes are relying on a stock of frozen pierogi made just before their move north this tumble, but they intention to have devices all set to start out output at Lost Village Pierogi’s new web-site — 307 Petoskey St., the previous site of Flour Female Artisan Pizzeria — by early January. They’ll aim on featuring frozen goods by way of select-up and neighborhood supply at minimum for the small expression, but Mike reported he hopes to commence providing prepared-to-take in Polish fare through a choose-up window all-around springtime. Ideas also phone for a viewing region where by website visitors can enjoy foods generation.
Even with Dropped Village however setting up its new house, and with only a small hand-lettered indication posted in modern weeks to determine what’s inside, the shop has captivated several orders through cell phone and stroll-in, Holly said.
“Word of mouth is what is occurring,” she included.
The Kotzes proceed to provide occasional pop-up revenue at a variety of Northern Michigan spots. They system to continue on distributing via grocers downstate, and are working to incorporate some food items merchants in northern communities to the list.
Misplaced Village Pierogi can be arrived at by phone at (313) 573-6109, and also requires on line orders by means of its internet site at www.lostvillagepierogi.com. The shop is open up noon-7 p.m. Tuesday by Friday and noon-6 p.m. Saturday, and closed Sunday and Monday.
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