NANTICOKE, Pa. — Dough is stretching for miles, as pierogi pinching is in full force in Luzerne County. Tens of thousands of pierogi will take shape at NEPA'rogi in Nanticoke.
The Polish staple is a Christmas tradition on many tables across Northeast PA, which means it comes with quite the demand this holiday season.
"I also think it's the nostalgia of the smell and taste of the food, reminding you of the happiest of holidays growing up in Northeast PA. Of course, you could go to the grocery store and buy pierogi, but I think the magic of what we're doing here, that hand pinching, is what gives it that extra spark," said Lauren Gorney, owner of NEPA'rogi.
This is the shop's first Christmas in their new space on South Market Street, and with it, they're able to take on more orders than ever: 1,000 dozen, or 12,000 pierogi to be exact.
"These ladies are working on 200 dozen a day. Of course, we're trying to push past that. We could always automate and do more, but the magic of the hand-pinched pierogi can't be matched," said Gorney.
To meet the demand, they're also accepting walk-ins this year, which means owner Lauren Gorney will be doubling that pre-order count—totaling more than 24,000 pierogi throughout the season.
"We stock up mainly on potato and cheese—that's our best seller. Farmer's cheese is more traditional, and we try to have cabbage available, but as you can see, even until the last minute, we're cooking cabbage to finish the orders," said Gorney.
And before they even get through Christmas, NEPA'rogi already has their sights set on the next holiday.
"We also wanted to offer to our last-minute customers because I was a last-minute customer as well. But I cannot encourage people enough to please get orders in for Easter now—that’s Christmas," said Gorney.
Walk-in orders are being accepted every day through Christmas until 6 p.m. daily or until they run out.