Ariana Tolka never imagined she would be where she is today. A child of immigrants from the Balkans, she always knew one thing: the food was special. She admired her aunt Alida Malushi, who had an affinity for making delicious, traditional, Albanian food. Alida’s creations were comforting, as they reminded Ariana of her grandmother, who helped them bond over Burek – a traditional food passed down in the family for generations. Burek is a layered pastry made with phyllo dough and typically fillings like beef, spinach, and potato. Brought to the Balkans by nomadic Turks of Central Asia, it’s enjoyed in various countries, with each claiming ownership to its invention.
After graduating from the University of Miami, Ariana began her professional career in Marketing, working as a Brand Strategist and in Brand Partnership Management until 2019. She then decided to put this expertise to the ultimate test and pursue a new venture with Alida. Together they built Balkan Bites, a company that specializes in Southeast European comfort foods.
Their journey began by selling Burek at various pop-up markets in New York, where their products were an immediate hit. As a startup with an unknown product, Ariana cites that a considerable amount of effort was placed in educating consumers on Burek, its history and how it’s prepared. As Balkan Bites’ popularity grew, they refined their process, increased capacity, and scaled operations to begin producing in a commercial kitchen.
Ariana remains grateful for the community of business owners that helped her understand how to best meet food safety standards, allowing her to quickly meet regulatory requirements and grow the business. She was also grateful to others who taught her how to efficiently ship the product to the buyer. As their operations became more sophisticated, Ariana turned to building a brand. As a strategist, she understood they would have to contend for shelf space with powerhouse competitors. She created catchy packaging with clever copy to grab customers’ attention. Once they tried the product, they kept coming back for more. Ariana states that what makes their product different is the quality of their ingredients and their ability to make the phyllo from scratch, instead of premade sheets.
While online sales were on a great trajectory, she also turned her attention to working to get the company into select grocery stores. This drove exposure throughout the country and got Balkan Bites shelf space within Foxtrot Markets, a small upscale grocery chain in Chicago, Texas, and Washington D.C. The recent closure of these markets initially frightened Ariana, but she used this as motivation to introduce Balkan Bites into even more retail locations, now totaling over 500 across the US. Balkan Bites also diversified its offerings with mini phyllo rolls as an appetizer or a kid-friendly snack.
Today, Ariana and Alida look back at their beginnings and are proud of what they have achieved. Features in prestigious publications such as the New York Times, The New Yorker and Forbes have brought the spotlight on this dynamic duo.
Balkan Bites can be purchased directly from their website www.balkanbites.co.
