New Venture Taps Old-World Tastes
As a kid, Casey White ’14 loved playing restaurant with friends, using rocks for money and cooking up business ideas.
“My mind was always, ‘How do I create something people want, and how do I manage that?’” says White, whose role models were a mother who worked in business operations and a grandfather who started a deli in the 1940s with his siblings. “I knew I wanted to own a restaurant or do something with food.”
That “something” is Jaju Pierogi. The 6-year-old company, which White co-founded with sister Vanessa, makes the Polish dumplings that are still a staple at family dinners. “Jaju” means grandfather in Polish and pays tribute to the inspiration for their recipes.
Why pierogies? The alumna recalls bringing them in from home during her student days.
“My roommates had never seen them before,” says White, who was happy to share. Their enthusiasm suggested a wider market for the comfort food of her youth.