As someone proud of her Polish heritage, Lauren Gorney wanted the name of her new pierogi business to rhyme with the popular ethnic food.
And so, NEPA’rogi was born.
NEPA’rogi is a pierogi food truck Gorney and family recently launched in Newport Twp. — just in time for Easter, a time when pierogi are in high demand.
Since announcing the creation of the business, Gorney has been covered in flour and pinching pierogi non stop.
“When I think of Easter, I think of kielbasa, chocolate, the bakery and pierogi. I’m humbled to be a part of that all-star Easter line up,” Gorney said.
Gorney, 31, said the demand has been overwhelming to the point she had to stop taking orders. During the week leading up to Easter, the NEPA’rogi trailer was camped in a parking lot along West Main Street in Nanticoke to hand out all the pierogi preorders.
“This is our grand opening during our first holiday. We are working at 110%. It hurt me to have to turn people away. I can’t keep up with it,” Gorney said. “I am shocked by the demand and more importantly the community support.”
Gorney said she prides herself in making pierogi the same way she did with her Polish family in Glen Lyon.
“It means so much that people tell me this reminds them of their Babcia (grandmother) and Dziadzi (grandfather),” Gorney said.
Gorney, who has a background in sales and marketing, said she was nearing burnout last year when the COVID-19 pandemic “gave me the pause” to follow her passion and dreams.
She said after her grandmother Gorney died years ago she connected more with her Polish roots and always wanted to do something to promote her heritage.
“It’s an honor to carry on the legacy of making regional cultural food. Being a millennial, I want to perpetuate that legacy,” Gorney said.
NEPA’rogi’s products include potato and cheddar, simply sauerkraut, fresh cabbage, golden ‘kraut and cabbage and farmer’s cheese.
Gorney said she and her boyfriend enlisted family members as part of their small production line. She takes pride in making all the pierogi by hand.
NEPA’rogi’s slogan is: “We are always trying for the perfect pinch.”
“We walk a fine line between mass production and labor-intensive love,” Gorney said. “As long as I can, I am going to pinch these little babies on my own.”
Bob Kalinowski works for The Citizens’ Voice in Wilkes-Barre. Reach him at bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2055 or @cvbobkal on Twitter.
