With her Ukrainian mother’s encouragement, Zenia spent Sundays in the kitchen, experimenting.
Her mother, an avid cook, would step aside and let Zenia take the reins. No hovering or complaining about the mess—just a nudge that helped Zenia see the kitchen as a playground she had all to herself.
Is it any wonder this Ukrainian kid grew up to wrap doughy perogies in fried, crunchy spring roll wrappers, inventing a whole new food category?
It’s a genius invention called Pegrolls, which Chef Anthony Rose recently called “the ultimate comfort snack.”
We couldn’t agree more.
The Perogies Go to Market
In 2014 Zenia began testing her invention at local farmers’ markets. The pilot project proved she had created something irresistible.
Ten years later Zenia is cranking out 12,000 a day and running two Pegroll restaurants.
Each Pegroll is made by hand.
When I ask Zenia whether she uses a machine to peel potatoes she holds our her hands saying, “Yeah, you’re looking at it.”
When I ask if she has a facility to manufacture that many Pegrolls, she looks around and says, “You’re looking at it.”
When I comment on how great her skin looks she touches her face and without missing a beat answers, “It’s the steam from the potatoes.”
Every lunchtime, high school kids line up to get their six hot Pegrolls, tucked into a Chinese style-takeout box, stuffed in a brown paper bag. That with a drink and sour cream costs $5.99. If they’ve got a spare toonie they can throw in the housemade spicy sour cream which is well worth splurge.
Zenia’s unlocked kids’ culinary cheat code—crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, bite-sized and full of flavour. It’s a no brainer for kids and teens.
In a move that would make any shark-tank investor nod approvingly, Zenia strategically planted her restaurants right next to high schools and colleges.
New flavours like nacho cheese and a version that’s spicier than jalepenos–more like flaming hot Cheetos–will only deepen kids’ love affair with Pegrolls.
But of course Pegrolls aren’t just for kids. If you’ve ever indulged in a chicken nugget, a tater tot, or a pizza roll, you know that some foods just hit that snack sweet spot. I’d put a Pegroll up against a chicken nugget any day.
Starting a Food Business? Listen Up
Zenia’s learned a alot about building a grassroots food business from the ground up. Her advice for other food innovators is as straight-forward as she is. It comes down to this – you need money, knowledge and gumption. Here’s her advice:
- Financial Stability: “You need to have a strong financial base. Without it, you’re setting yourself up for a struggle.” In food ventures, costs add up fast—ingredients, packaging, marketing all cost money. Zenia believes her success was based on starting out with enough financial cushion to handle the unexpected (including a recent flood.)
- Know Your Market: “Even if you think you’re the only one doing what you do, do your research.” Zenia stresses really understanding why people choose your product over others because that’s what will keep them coming back.
- Start Small: “Farmers markets are affordable, and you’ll get real, honest feedback from people who aren’t afraid to tell it like it is. That kind of feedback is priceless.”Farmers markets gave Zenia the chance to listen to customers and fine-tuning based on their input. Plus, farmers’ markets were key in helping Pegrolls build a loyal fans based out of the gate without heavy marketing costs.
As Pegrolls grow Zenia peels potatoes and rolls with heart and hustle. You’ll find Pegrolls in Fiesta’s Freezer section.