Do it — Try the honey cake from Kalamazoo's Ukrainian Homemade Foods

Editor's note: This story is part of Southwest Michigan's Second Wave's On the Ground Kalamazoo series.

KALAMAZOO, MI — A newer stand at the Kalamazoo Farmers' Market called Ukrainian Homemade Food has been drawing a lot of attention. A kind-looking woman smiles tentatively from behind the table laden with delicious-looking pierogies, dumplings, cakes, and cookies. Perhaps it is the customers communicating through Google translate on their phones with the vendor, or the grown man in a blown-up T-Rex costume dancing around the tent that draws eyes to the booth. 

Casey GrootenSeveryn and Zykova interviewed with Second Wave Media at Factory Coffee on Frank St in Kalamazoo, MI using Google Translate. Iryna Zykova and Oleksii Severyn (the T-Rex), both 51, are a Ukrainian married couple who fled their homeland in 2022 because of the Russia-Ukraine War. Born and raised in the city of Poltava, a region that was bombed just days before their Second Wave interview, the couple shares details of how they came to be in Kalamazoo. The pair left behind careers, loved ones, and the languages they speak. Although they miss Ukraine and wish dearly to return, they say they are excited to share their passion for Ukrainian cuisine with the Kalamazoo community. 

In Ukraine, Zykova worked for fifteen years as a consumer loan officer in a bank. The language barrier is an issue that keeps her from being able to work here in the same field. Severyn says, “I have worked a lot of places, and had a lot of jobs." He most recently served as the director of a regional public utility company. Severyn did a tour of duty for the Ukrainian Military in the 1990s and volunteered again for service when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. “I even held in my hands the weapons provided by the United States,” he recalls. 

Casey GrootenThe couple works together to help customers at the Kalamazoo Farmers Market.As we hear often, the war forced Severyn and Zykova to leave their home. Zykova left earlier with her daughter when it became too dangerous to stay because Russians began targeting the families of Ukrainian soldiers. 

“I never even thought about moving to another country" before the war, she says. But after her parents and she ran from basement to basement to find somewhere to hide, Zykova says this made the difficult decision to leave inevitable. Severyn followed shortly after. They fled with few belongings, leaving behind all of their material possessions, Zykova’s parents, and their home in Poltava.

Food prepared by Ukrainians but combining cultures

The two arrived in the United States through the Uniting for Ukraine program (U for U). After initially immigrating to the Tacoma, Washington area, Severyn and Zykova say that they could not afford to stay because the cost of living was too high. They searched for another location to call home. After a visit to Kalamazoo in 2023, the couple decided to move to the city. 

Casey GrootenSeveryn typically dons a blow-up costume of some sort. At this market, it was a T-Rex, which was a hit.Severyn shares that they knew little about the area at first but had a connection through Iryna Lendel, a friend from Ukraine who lives in Kalamazoo. Lendel and Severyn previously worked together on several scientific projects. “The weather here is very reminiscent of Ukraine,” says Zykova, with which Severyn agrees it brings them a sense of comfort. 

Another comfort comes in the form of cooking traditional Ukrainian food, they say. Cooking has always been a part of both Severyn's and Zykova’s lives. “We Ukrainians all love to eat delicious food, and accordingly, cook it,” says Zykova with a smile. Faced with a wide variety of American foods, the couple decided to stick to what they knew and loved, preparing traditional Ukrainian dishes passed down through generations. 

Many of the items they sell at their farmer’s market booth are derived from “old family recipes,” Zykova says, but the pair says this does not fully describe the menu. “Our food cannot be called Ukrainian,” says Severyn. “Rather, it is food prepared by Ukrainians, reflecting a mix of influences from different cultures.”

Simple and tasty — no secrets

“Our main focus is to cook simple and tasty foods," says Severyn. "we have no secrets and always share recipes."

This passion for food turned into a business idea, and that’s where the Can-Do Kitchen in Kalamazoo entered. Iryna and Oleksii attended one of the kitchen’s info sessions, where they met other entrepreneurs and discussed ways to bring the idea to fruition. The couple then enrolled in Can-Do’s 90-Day Can-Do Camp, which offers resources and mentorship for aspiring entrepreneurs. They found support from the program’s workshops and consultations and were allowed use of the commercial kitchen. This space is where they create all of the delectable goodies they offer at Ukrainian Homemade Foods.

Casey GrootenThe couple works together to help customers at the Kalamazoo Farmers Market.Severyn thinks back on the experience, “We never knew there were business incubators that help young entrepreneurs. The support has been incredible.”

The couple sought additional funding to expand. The Can-Do Kitchen introduced them to Kiva, a global crowdfunding platform, and helped them through the loan process. Can-Do’s Marketing Director Jarrett Blackmon says, “as a Kiva trustee, Can-Do Kalamazoo assists entrepreneurs in navigating the application process and endorsing them on the platform.

Recently, LISC offered a match that multiplied each donation by four times, significantly helping entrepreneurs like Iryna and Oleksii reach their funding goals faster.” LISC is an organization that describes its mission as helping “forge resilient and inclusive communities of opportunity across America–great places to live, work, visit, do business and raise families.” They have an office in Kalamazoo.

Thanks to the KIVA and LISC partnership, Severyn and Zykova were able to reach their goal quickly through a matching fund that multiplied each donation by four. The loan allowed them to purchase equipment, ingredients, and other items to amp up their business. 

Casey GrootenSeveral examples of the items that are available at Ukrainian Homemade Foods.“Working with Iryna and Oleksii has been inspiring; they are passionate about bringing their authentic cuisine to the Kalamazoo community, and we can't wait to see their continued growth,” says Blackmon.

The couple’s business has found its footing in Kalamazoo and is starting to take off, but there are some roadblocks. Kitchen licensing prevents them from preparing meat dishes, which are central to many traditional Ukrainian meals. “I would love to cook meat dishes — they are incredibly tasty,” says Severyn, but for now, they focus on simpler offerings such as sunflower seed candies and their popular honey cake. 

Zykova and Severyn plan to expand their business. “In the future, I would very much like to open a small family restaurant,” says Zykova, but she is cautious about their limitations. Many small businesses fail within the first two years and the couple wants to ensure they build a model that will last. 

“Our current state can be compared to the Corvette car, it has a lot of power, but the speed is limited by the manufacturer,” says Severyn with a laugh. With the right licenses and time, both say they are positive they can grow their business.

Casey GrootenThe couple works together to help customers at the Kalamazoo Farmers Market.Severyn contacted Second Wave after the initial interview took place to assert that he “would like people (who loaned them money through KIVA) to know that they will get their money back. We did not collect it for free… we are responsible for the people who helped us.”

Even though Zykova and Severyn have begun to care for Kalamazoo, Ukraine is always on their minds, they say. Zykova’s elderly parents still live in Ukraine, away from the immediate fighting but in an environment that remains tense. “It hurts us very much,” says Severyn. They have lost loved ones in the ongoing conflict, and every news report brings a new wave of grief and worry. Despite their new life in the United States, the couple longs for Ukraine constantly. 

“Of course, we want to go back"

Severyn and Zykova told Second Wave that the support from other businesses and individuals in Kalamazoo has been overwhelming, particularly through their partnership with Can-Do Kitchen and from local bakery owners Maria Brennen of Victorian Bakery and Judith Sarkozy of Sarkozy’s Bakery. The Kalamazoo Famer’s Market has been a helpful source of income for Severyn and Zykova during the summer, and the two plan to sell at the indoor winter market for the second time starting later this year.
 
Casey GrootenSeveral examples of the items that are available at Ukrainian Homemade Foods.Second Wave reached out to Brennen for comment. She saw the couple's post on Facebook and got in touch. The local bakery owner “wanted to support them because they are another bakery, and a refugee during the war.” Brennan says that when it comes to small businesses in Kalamazoo, especially of the same trade, “we all support each other.” Brennan hosted Severyn in the Victorian Bakery space to help get the word out about the couple's traditional cakes.

Throughout the interview, which was conducted entirely through Google Translate, Zykova and Severyn brought up the clear language barrier several times. We all had moments of frustration, not at each other, but at the fumbling nature of exchanging information using only our phones. Body language rang true and definitely helped set the scene, but some conversational nuance was lost. The couple plans to take language classes through Bethany College to improve their English and further integrate into their new community.

Grateful but planning for self-support

“We are very grateful to the American people for accepting us and giving us refuge,” says Severyn. “But we want to support ourselves and not rely on subsidies from the state.”

If you would like to visit the Ukrainian bakery, you can find them at the Kalamazoo Farmers' Market on Bank Street in downtown Kalamazoo every Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Ukrainian bakery will also have a booth at the winter market, which starts mid-November.



Writer's Note:  My partner and I source almost all of our groceries from the Kalamazoo Farmers' Market. In January, I noticed the Ukrainian Bakery booth. I was very excited because I am Hungarian and have not had traditional Eastern European food since my Nugymama (grandmother) passed away years ago. 

I immediately found Severyn to be incredibly kind, and polite. Several weeks later I met Zykova. We began to communicate through Google Translate and always found a way to laugh through the challenges of speaking this way. 

Each week, I made a point to purchase something from the couple. Each week, I learned more about them. My editor reached out to me, asking if I had an interest in writing a feature about these folks, having no idea that I had been forming this relationship with them for the last year. 

Conducting the interview was something new for all of us, but the use of Google Translate was surprisingly helpful and accurate. Oleksii and Iryna are two of the most hard-working and good people that I have met in a long time, and they deserve every kindness our Kalamazoo community has to offer them.

Don’t be afraid to go up and use your device to translate a conversation with them. Oh, don’t be afraid to give Oleksii a high five while he’s in his blowup panda or T-Rex suit. 

Also-
Do it, try the honey cake.