{"id":5614,"date":"2025-08-06T01:36:02","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T05:36:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/miwf.org\/?p=5614"},"modified":"2025-08-06T01:36:02","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T05:36:02","slug":"pietrzyk-pierogi-reinventing-a-polish-classic-in-detroit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/miwf.org\/small-business-success-stories\/pietrzyk-pierogi-reinventing-a-polish-classic-in-detroit\/","title":{"rendered":"Pietrzyk Pierogi: Reinventing a Polish Classic in Detroit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Erica Pietrzyk never set out to become the Pierogi Queen of Detroit. But after serving homemade pierogi to friends at a bar where she bartended, demand for her Polish dumplings quickly snowballed into a full-fledged food business, aptly named Pietrzyk Pierogi<\/a>, that now reaches customers across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A proud Polish-American who grew up folk dancing and cooking with family, Erica found early inspiration in her heritage. But her path to entrepreneurship wasn\u2019t just cultural. It was personal. After surviving domestic violence and being diagnosed with PTSD, Erica poured herself into building something joyful, creative, and healing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t want to ruin my life. I didn\u2019t want to hurt the people around me. So I worked,\u201d she says. \u201cThis business gave me a reason to get up and go every day. And I love what I do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Erica began by selling her handmade pierogi at local bars and pop-ups around Detroit, starting with her family\u2019s traditional dough recipe and three classic fillings. But she quickly began experimenting with new flavors. Jalape\u00f1o popper, cheeseburger, Greek, blueberry and farmer\u2019s cheese \u2014 each new creation was a reflection of Erica\u2019s creativity and palate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think I tested over 120 different recipes,\u201d she says. \u201cThe bar pop-ups were a great way to see what customers really liked. Once we saw what sold, we knew what to package.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By 2019, Pietrzyk Pierogi opened a retail space inside Gratiot Central Market at Eastern Market, where customers can enjoy hot pierogi from the grill or take frozen ones home. Her team also offers mail-order nationwide, making her hand-pinched pierogi accessible across the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, growth hasn\u2019t come without setbacks \u2014 from losing a contract with a major distributor to scaling back staff. But Erica has used every challenge as a chance to adapt and move forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOwning a business means constant change,\u201d she says. \u201cYou think things will get easier once you reach a certain point, but the truth is, there\u2019s always something new to figure out. You just have to expect that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of her biggest lessons? Success is all about the people around you. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter how good your product is. It\u2019s the people who work with you that make or break your business,\u201d Erica says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That same community spirit shows up in everything she does \u2014 from mentoring other women entrepreneurs to collaborating with fellow makers. She credits the owners of The Old Miami \u2014 Daniel Overstreet and Julie Flynn \u2014 with giving her early encouragement and steady support. \u201cThey accepted me when I was learning to live with PTSD,\u201d she says. \u201cThey supported me, encouraged me to push forward, and even gave me catering gigs so I could keep going. They\u2019re like a second set of parents.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Erica also celebrates fellow women entrepreneurs who\u2019ve inspired her along the way. Sarah Reid of Flavorful Creations <\/a>\u2014 known for her vegan rum cakes \u2014 shared a kitchen with Erica in the early days, and their friendship has remained strong. Alex Clark of Bon Bon Bon<\/a>, a fellow Hamtramck-based founder, has also been a steady presence. \u201cWe\u2019ve both been through some things and still kept going,\u201d Erica says. \u201cThere\u2019s something special about building businesses with that kind of resilience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That sense of resilience was essential when Pietrzyk Pierogi was gearing up for a major expansion: a sudden surge of 150 new stores. It was a huge opportunity \u2014 but also a potential cash flow crunch. That\u2019s when Michigan Women Forward stepped in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMWF came in clutch,\u201d Erica says. \u201cThey helped us avoid a cash flow crunch so we could meet demand and grow the way we needed to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The microloan from MWF allowed Erica to invest in new systems to make production more efficient, keep her grill open longer, and expand into more retail locations across and beyond Michigan. Today, Pietrzyk Pierogi products can be found in stores across the United States, online orders continue to grow, and pierogi-making classes are a big hit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And while Erica still loves the traditional flavors like potato and cheese, she also stands by fan favorites like the Becky (a jalape\u00f1o popper-inspired flavor named after a loyal customer) and the Holy Gouda, made with smoked gouda, bacon, and chives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also refuses to compromise on quality. Pietrzyk Pierogi uses top-shelf ingredients and a traditional dough recipe, and each pierogi is boiled and flash frozen in-house so customers can skip the boil and just steam, saut\u00e9, and enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Erica\u2019s success is rooted in passion, perseverance, and a deep love for her craft \u2014 but also in her ability to evolve. Whether it\u2019s launching new flavors, refining operations, or expanding across state lines, she\u2019s always thinking a few steps ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe say \u2018make pierogi, eat love\u2019 around here,\u201d Erica says. \u201cBecause when people love what they do, they create better food. And when people eat better food, they feel the love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Erica\u2019s Advice to Fellow Entrepreneurs:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n