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Srodek’s offers traditional Polish holiday treats such as chocolate gift boxes and Advent calendars.
Photo by Patricia O’Blenes
STERLING HEIGHTS — Amid the gift giving and decorations that accompany the holiday season, there’s also the need to feed people.
And in that department, Srodek’s Quality Polish Food in Sterling Heights is an example of a small business that is up for the task.
Magdalena Srodek, who owns Srodek’s, said her business has plenty of food and supplies for people who are throwing holiday parties.
And she said her business, like many others, is looking forward to Small Business Saturday, an awareness campaign co-sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration that takes place Nov. 26 this year.
But she expected business to begin to “snowball” even earlier — by mid-November.
“It just progressively evolves into Thanksgiving, and because of that big hustle and bustle of Christmas, rolling into the new year,” she said.
In terms of holiday season preparation, Magdalena Srodek said her business prepares a variety of Polish delicacies for Thanksgiving, adding that her deli offers in-house smoked drumsticks, smoked turkey breasts, smoked whole turkeys and fresh-never-frozen turkey meat, too. She explained that the store also serves around 40 flavors of pierogi that are made in Hamtramck.
And when the Christmas season rolls in, she said, Srodek’s offers “beautiful, decadent, European chocolate boxes” with holiday decorations, as well as chocolate St. Nicholases and Santa Clauses.
“We also carry a magnitude of different imported goods,” she added. “We offer customized party platters with sausage or cheese. Everything is catered to our customer, so our customer is our No. 1 priority.”
Srodek said she looks forward to the holiday season as a small business. She said she hopes that construction on Mound Road wraps up soon, adding that she wants it to be easy for people to come visit.
Stacy Ziarko, the president and CEO of the Sterling Heights Regional Chamber of Commerce, also commented on local efforts to amplify small businesses. She said the Shop Local Macomb campaign, a collaboration among Macomb County, First State Bank and local chambers of commerce, began Nov. 17 and lasts until Dec. 4.
According to Macomb County Planning and Economic Development, the sixth annual Shop Local Macomb contest will award 10 shoppers $150 gift cards, and 10 local retail businesses will get $1,000 grants each. Shoppers can apply by taking a picture of themselves shopping at a local retail business Nov. 17-Dec. 4, send it to MakeMacombYourHome.com and then share the image on Facebook or Twitter while giving it the #ShopLocalMacomb hashtag.
Ziarko described some reasons why supporting small businesses benefits local communities.
“Those small businesses are the first places to contribute to schools, the first to make donations when asked and are an intricate part of our community,” she said.
Learn more about Srodek’s Quality Polish Food, 40211 Mound Road, in Sterling Heights by visiting www.srodek.com or by calling (586) 250-9090. Find out more about the Sterling Heights Regional Chamber of Commerce by visiting www.shrcci.com or by calling (586) 731-5400. Find out more about the Shop Local Macomb campaign by visiting makemacombyourhome.com.
