Bonnie Vetanze and Iryna Kharchuk couldn’t have selected a more apt name for their new business.
For the Love of Pierogis celebrated its official grand opening Monday at 3391 Belmont St. in Bellaire to a great reception.
The pair made 1000s of pierogis for their opening day, filling the store’s front cooler to the brim with pierogis, pelmeni, and kielbasa.
That cooler needed restocking soon after opening the doors—more than once.
“We’re nearing the end of our supply for today,” Vetanze said as the five o’clock hour neared. “We made 1000s of them for today, and they’re almost all gone. We’ve filled that cooler up three times today.”
For love of pierogis indeed.
Neither Vetanze nor Kharchuk, who grew up in the Ukraine, have a specific background in the culinary arts. Vetanze is an engineer while Kharchuk is an attorney.
What the two do have is a familial bond that includes making delectable pierogis, which is how the business first began.
This freezer was completely emptied multiple times on opening day. 
Iryna Kharchuk talks with a couple customers at the counter at For the Love of Perogis.
Outgrowing the Facility
The two began making pierogis out of Vetanze’s home in Wheeling, primarily for friends and family.
But as demand increased, they knew a larger facility would be needed to seize upon this opportunity.
“We started out making for friends and people kept calling and wanting more, and it took off from there,” Vetanze said. “In a few short months we outgrew my house as we don’t have enough room to have employees there.
“We had it in my home and opened in November. We worked through Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Years and there was so much demand.
“It was time to try to find a new place.”
Vetanze admitted they looked up and down the Ohio Valley for the perfect spot. Originally, she planned to remodel a building she owned in Wheeling, but then she discovered the opening on Belmont Street right next door to Little Gerardo’s.
“I changed my mind (about remodeling) and we came here, looked at it and knew that it was the place,” Vetanze said. “It’s the perfect little city. I have family here, and it has a wide-open floor plan so people can see us producing.”
Kharchuk hands out free samples of different types of State Meats kielbasa. 
The menu items are For the Love of Pierogis are listed.
The menu
What customers will find at For the Love of Pierogis is homemade pierogis—some frozen, some fresh, but all made by Vetanze and Kharchuk. There is also pelmeni, a Ukrainian-style mini dumpling filled with meat and spices.
“It’s very similar to the meat in the fresh kielbasa, but we use a different spice,” Kharchuk said.
Speaking of Kielbasa, For the Love of Pierogis offers three selections directly from the famous State Meats in Parma, Ohio.
Smoked kielbasa, fresh kielbasa (raw), and smoked Hungarian kielbasa are imported directly form State Meats and available in the freezer.
During Monday’s grand opening, Kharchuk was offering customers taste tests of all three styles of kielbasa at the same time to ensure they were getting the one they enjoyed best. In many cases, the customers’ initial inclination turned out to be different from their eventual purchase.
“People sample these and think they want one kind but end up getting another,” Kharchuk said, noting that with the Hungarian style, the spice takes a few seconds after chewing for the flavor to kick in.
Growth Potential
Vetanze noted the allure of pierogis is half in the making and enjoying them in your own home.
That’s why don’t count on For the Love of Pierogis turning into a full-service restaurant anytime soon—or at all.
“I don’t ever see us being a restaurant. That’s just not our business model,” Vetanze noted. “Mostly, people like to cook pierogis at home. So many people want them that I don’t think we could supply people and also have enough for a restaurant.
“We may open up something for lunch, maybe have some kielbasa sandwiches, but we’ll probably just focus on selling the frozen and fresh pierogis we have to sell.”
That doesn’t mean expansion isn’t in the works. While the current facility enables Vetanze and Kharchuk to create a supply five times greater than previously, that may not be enough as demand continues to grow.
Vetanze admitted moving forward she’d like to possess the ability to have production lines and the ability to provide even more product.
For more information, or to read a host of glowing reviews, check out For the Love of Pierogis Facebook page or call (740) 325-1443 for more information.
