Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Anna Stepanets, owner of Malina Ukrainian Bakery, located in Edmonton, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are the first Ukrainian Bakery and Eatery in Edmonton! We opened our doors one year ago and are now looking forward to opening our second location this year! Our cafe is 100% family-owned. We serve traditional Ukrainian baked goods and pastries (our honey cake is the most famous one in the city!). You can also order homemade perogies, cabbage rolls, borscht, soup, etc.! Or you can buy frozen food and cook it at home! All our baked goods are made daily from scratch; our food is 100% handmade. All our food is made based on my Baba’s recipe, and considering feedback from customers; she would be very proud of us!
Tell us about yourself
Well, firstly I love food and feeding people! I adore Ukrainian cuisine, our baked goods (the freshest ever!), and our pastry! I love seeing people enjoying our food, how they close their eyes after the first bite, and just truly enjoy the taste. It makes me the happiest person in the world! The biggest motivation for me is the feedback and support from our customers! When you read the reviews and how customers are happy with the food- this pushes you to work better every single day!
Our store was robbed just right before Christmas, and we shared it with our customers. On the next day, we got hundreds of messages/calls! So many customers came and offered help/support and just were there with us! It was unbelievable. I literally burst into tears and could not believe that we have an army of people who believe and support us! Isn’t the biggest motivation?
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I think our greatest accomplishment is that we are growing each day. It has been more than a year of opening, and I am so happy to see that we have so many regular customers, most of whom have been with us since day one. It’s a good sign for any business. It means that you do a good job and have great quality.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Obviously, opening a business in the middle of the pandemic was quite challenging. Taking into account so many restrictions, and without knowing what will be tomorrow.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Truly love what you are doing. Without love, you will not succeed.
- Always believe in yourself. If one door doesn’t open, knock at the other.
- NEVER GIVE UP!
Where can people find you and your business?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/malinabakeryedm/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/malina_bakery_edm/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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