When she first came to the States, Mannarino made pierogies out of her kitchen and gave them to friends and neighbors. Pretty soon, she was selling dozens of pierogies from her home.

With so many requests for pierogies, Mannarino decided she’d better open a shop with a commercial kitchen before the health department came after her. She took classes to learn how to operate a business and converted the old gas station she and her husband owned into a pierogi factory.

Outfitted with used equipment she bought at auctions and the help of a friend, Mannarino opened Pierogies Plus on June 5, 1991.

Steady Growth

The shop was open only two days a week at that time, and Mannarino and her friend did all the work, mashing and peeling 50 pounds of potatoes each week. They made traditional pierogies including potato and cheese, meat, plain potato and potato and sauerkraut.

Before long, Pierogies Plus became well known in the Pittsburgh area and people were buying up the homemade, overstuffed dumplings. 

The staff at Pierogies Plus pinches potato filled perogies in the new kitchen area of the store.