WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Celebrating more than a century in business is a huge milestone for any local shop, but one in Luzerne County is also welcoming a new expansion to its legacy.
28/22 News has more from Wilkes-Barre with how they're ringing in history... Kielbasi rings, that is.
Turning on the lights and opening up shop is something 89-year-old Ed Balicki has done as the owner of Leonard’s Kielbasi Shop in Wilkes-Barre for more than 50 years.
“It’s my whole part of my life. I don’t know what I would do without it at times,” said 'Kielbasi Godfather' Ed Balicki.
His grandfather from Poland, Thomas Dyleski, started it back in 1923. He later took it over in the 60s from his dad.
In all that time, he’s gotten used to speaking on camera.
“This isn’t your first time interviewing with WBRE,” asked 28/22 News reporter Sydney Kostus.
“No, it isn’t!” said Balicki.
He was interviewed by Dan Gallagher back in 1982, and again more than ten years later by 28/22's Mark Hiller.
Those interviews happened from inside the same building located on Kado Street.
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Decades later, to the present day, instead of handmaking it down in the basement, it’s moved next door to the shop’s brand-new production facility.
“New building, new equipment, same great recipe, and we’re so thankful to have such great customers,” explained co-owner Chet Makuch.
Chet Makuch now co-owns the market with his son.
The business is staying in the family, as Chet’s dad owned the shop alongside Ed.
“It’s been a staple in the community for so many years. I grew up running around in the store when I was a kid,” said Makuch.
He says the new building was to keep up with the demand of orders, upgrading from an old smokehouse to a new state-of-the-art one.
“We’ve gone from a full day of operation, down to four or five hours,” explained Makuch.
Expanding its services, but providing the same cherrywood-smoked kielbasi 102 years later.
Something Balicki says always brings its loyal customers back.
“They said they’ve tried it everywhere else and there’s nothing like ours. It makes me proud,” said Balicki.
In addition to its new production facility, the century-old kielbasi market has also started online orders to ship its product. They say they’ve already sent orders as far as Alaska and Hawaii.
