Justyna Borowska is the owner of the Westboro location of Wedel Touch of Europe. Photo courtesy of Justyna Borowska.

When Justyna Borowska moved to Canada during the summer of 2020, she knew she wanted to run a business that offered European dishes and foods. Having visited Ottawa before to spend time with her brother, Justyna noticed that the city already had businesses that cornered this foodie niche, including the Byward Market’s Wedel Touch of Europe, which had been running for five years at that time. The shop’s then-owner was ready to retire, and so for Justyna, it was a natural move to bid and take over the business.

“I knew that I want(ed) something like that,” said Justyna. “It’s because I’m all about the foods, and tradition and the homemade kitchen. Homemade kitchen is the most important one.”

Justyna said that a big part of why she wanted to take over Wedel was to make her desire to share European foods made from scratch a reality. “If you think about your grandma,” she said, “you feel love, you feel taste, you feel the most important stuff. I want to bring that memory to all people. European food, homemade food, I want to bring that back, with a twist of tradition.”

Among Wedel’s offerings are European culinary staples like pierogies, cabbage rolls, schnitzels, and dumplings. Justyna said that these are all foods that she herself remembers fondly from her childhood. “When I was a child, my grandma made that. So I want to bring grandma’s kitchen to the table (of my customers), to their family, and they can taste a bit of history and tradition and bring all that memory back!”

She said she wanted to open a location for Wedel in Westboro Village because the area’s atmosphere reminded her of European commercial districts. “There are all these beautiful small shops around, patios open, lovely smell on the streets, nice coffees,” said Justyna. “Like that kind of European vibe on the streets.”

Pictured is the storefront for Wedel’s Westboro Village location. Photo courtesy of Justyna Borowska.

Justyna said the Westboro Village location’s opening has not come without its challenges—on its second day, the store was vandalized. “It was a very hard time,” she said. “For me as a family with two small kids, it was very heartbreaking.”

But even in the face of that setback, she chooses to focus on the positives. “That situation gave me so many lovely people around me, and the customers,” said Justyna. “It’s actually amazing. I am so grateful to have so many people behind my back.”

“I survived and I’m still here,” said Justyna. She said she acknowledges some might think that opening a business in the middle of a pandemic is a “crazy” thing to do, but she is reassured by her belief in good food. “You know, when you come to my place, you will never leave hungry!”

She said she often hears about the quality of her dishes from customers who eat at Wedel. “They say, ‘Oh my god, this is how my grandma used to make this: with the heart!'”

For those interested in learning more about Wedel, visit their website, Instagram, and Facebook page!