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ENFIELD, CT – In early September, Marek Gusciora and his wife Beata opened Alicja Deli, a European food market at 786 Enfield St. named after Beata's mother who passed away two ago years from cancer.
“We sell foods from Eastern Europe mostly from Poland, but we have produce from Russia, Ukraine and Slovenia,” Marek said. “Enfield has a big population of Polish people and there's no Polish deli in that area. I want to offer people something different to eat aside from Big Y or Stop & Shop.”
Marek and Beata Gusciora have been living in Enfield for a year, and before that, they lived in Chicopee for 10 years. Born in Poland, Marek came to the United States 14 years ago to visit his sister who was living in New Jersey. There, he met his wife, and decided to stay in the U.S. After living in New Jersey for two years, Marek and Beata moved to Chicopee.
Although Marek never worked at a deli, he thought it was a good idea to open his own business. “I was a carpenter in the construction industry, so I was trying to do something different and open some businesses I can run,” Marek said. “Once my wife and I moved to Enfield and realized there weren't any Polish delis, we said right there and then we wanted to have one here.”
He went on to say, “I like to listen to people. We did a survey to find out what they wanted in the store, a variety of European kielbasa, ham, sausage, loins and cheeses. We want to have fresh meat every week when customers come.”
In the future, Marek said they want to have some ready-to-go meals such as Pierogi, golabki (stuffed cabbage rolls), Zapiekanka (an open-face sandwich topped with mushrooms and cheese) and much more, but so far so good they’re already building a growing clientele.
“Everyone is happy that we’re here,” Marek replied. “Our intent when we opened the deli was to show our culture and where we come from. The best message of this is the variety of products and flavors that can be found at our deli.”
Alicja Deli is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursdays and Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, the business can be reached at 860-299-6734.