by TM Petaccia

As Charlotte’s popularity as a destination for those moving from the Northeast and Midwest has steadily increased, so has the influx of ethnic European communities — particularly Polish and other direct or descended Eastern European nationalities. For Agnieszka “Agnes” Zelazko, the growing demand necessitated a move from the small Zygma Polish Deli on Pineville’s N. Polk Street to a larger 4,000 square-foot store a couple of blocks up the road.

“The holidays especially were very tough,” Zelazko says. “We couldn’t fit everybody in the old store. It was very frustrating and we were losing customers. They saw the parking lot full and would just drive off. So, last June, we started looking for a larger space, and ten months later, we are here.”

Two weeks ago, the spacious new location opened with a corresponding larger parking lot, just in time for this year’s Easter rush.

The focal point of Zygma’s is the deli case offering a myriad of Polish sausages, hams, and cold cuts, which entices not only Polish ex-pats and their progeny, but also those with no Polish background — people Zelazko simply refers to as “Americans.”

“Americans come here and ask for ‘Polish sausage,'” Zelazko says. “So we have one sausage we call ‘Polish sausage’ (kielbasa), and they think this is the only Polish sausage there is,” she says. “We have to explain to them we specialize in many types of Polish sausages; we have at least eight kinds in the store right now — as well as deli meats like head cheese, which is very European, various patés, and other meats. They learn more about our Polish food, and the next time they come in, they buy something new.” Some of the more unfamiliar sausages include, Wedding sausage, cherry sausage, double-smoked sausage, hunter sausage, and others.

Most of the sausages and deli meats are made by Polish charcutiers in Chicago and New York City, both home to large Polish-American populations.

The store also features a large refrigerator/freezer section which boasts an assortment of Polish cheeses, butters, and other items, including a vast selection of pierogies in a number of traditional flavors, from farmer’s cheese to sauerkraut to blueberry. “I’m trying to give a wide variety. They are all made by Polish people, so you know they all taste very good,” she says.

Zygma carries many Polish baked goods, such as traditional poppy seed rolls (a confectionary loaf filled with a jammy poppy seed mixture), plus babkas, breads, and sandwich rolls. The grocery areas contain large assortments of Polish pastas, candies, cookies, jams, jellies, fruit butters, and pickles.

“When Americans are starting to learn to love Polish food,” Zelazko says, “I always suggest pickles. Polish pickles are very famous, not just the regular (cucumber). I always recommend the pickled mushrooms. We have many varieties. It’s hard to convince Americans to try pickled mushrooms, but once they try them, they like them. I don’t remember anybody saying they didn’t like them.”

Shoppers will also find a selection of Polish and European wines and beers, Polish cosmetics and wellness products, plus a growing section of Polish ceramics and Polish-themed apparel. As a community service, the store includes a small Polish-language library of books available for customers to borrow.

With the move complete, Zelazko is already planning additional offerings. “After Easter, I want to start offering takeout again like we did in the old store,” she says. “Starting with sandwiches, then add soups, ready-to-eat pierogies, potato pancakes, and more. In the future, I’d like to open a big Polish restaurant, maybe in another couple of years.”

Zelazko, a nurse by trade, assumed ownership of Zygma Polish Deli when her father-in-law, who originally opened the store in 2013, moved back to Poland three years ago. “He lived in New Jersey for about 30 years before moving to Charlotte,” Zelazko says. “He and his wife were missing all the Polish food they could get in the north, so they opened their own store. It was very slow at first, but they were very determined and eventually built up a lot of customers.”

“That’s what we are to most of our customers,” she says. “We give them a little bit of home.”