With the steady increase in business, Mannarino was able to add a larger kitchen onto the building and purchase equipment that, she says, has improved efficiency since it became operational in February.

Mannarino also installed a large cooler that allows her to freeze the pierogies for shipment. She hopes to increase her Internet sales and sell more of her food to restaurants and markets at wholesale.

“Right now we’re at about 80 percent retail and 20 percent wholesale,” she said. “I’d like to reverse that. If I have more wholesales, I can have more steady work for the employees.”

With all the changes, Mannarino even thought about purchasing a machine that would cut and pinch the pierogies all on its own. But upon inspecting the machine further, Mannarino said, she realize that for it to work she would have to change her recipe.

 “The dough would have been harder, and they would have had less filling,” Mannarino said. “It would be like Mrs. T’s,” a brand of frozen pierogies that are offered in many stores.

Owner Helen Mannarino scoops hot pierogies from the large cooker used to boil them. The new equipment has helped improve the kitchen's efficiency.