Mihaela Boaru loves her work.
鈥淭here are days in the summertime when I鈥檓 in the kitchen from 5 a.m. until 2 a.m., but I never think of it as work,鈥� says Boaru, co-owner and operator of the Schnitzel Shack at the Squamish Farmers鈥� Market.
Originally from Romania, Boaru and her husband moved in 2007 to Canada from Japan, where she had worked as a translator. 鈥淲hen I moved here, I was still doing translation but I was pretty much stuck in front of a computer鈥� it was boring.鈥� Feeling demotivated, she wanted a plan B and to meet friends.
So one day she visited the farmers鈥� market and says she came away wanting to be part of it. 鈥淪omething happened while I was there. I just really liked it.鈥�
Encouraged by friends, she had her first stall in summer 2010 selling vegetable spreads. But people were unfamiliar with her product and she was only just breaking even.
So when the Santa parade was announced that year, her husband suggested to her, 鈥淐abbage rolls are so popular in your home country, why don鈥檛 you make a pot of them to sell?鈥�
First, they needed a commercial kitchen. Renting was too expensive, so they sold their investments and built their own, working day and night for two weeks to install it. 鈥淭here was lots of work, lots of beer and lots of friends,鈥� she explains. But it was worthwhile: The cabbage rolls were a success.
She became pregnant soon after but there was no time for rest as she鈥檇 booked market stalls in both Whistler and Squamish. Then they had another problem: Without a food cart, one can sell hot food for only 14 days of the year, Boaru explains.
They had searched everywhere for one but with just two more weekends left on their permit, things weren鈥檛 looking great. At the very last minute, an old hot dog stand appeared on Craigslist and they snapped it up. 鈥淚t was perfect,鈥� she says.
With this new cart, a new menu item (sausages) and a baby, life was certainly busy and Boaru juggled motherhood with multiple markets and events, including the five-day Bass Coast Music Festival and Squamish Valley Music Festival (during which she served 4,000 meals over six days to volunteers).
Schnitzels were added to the menu and sales soon eclipsed those of cabbage rolls, which are now only sold frozen.
On reflection there have been many challenges, one of which is time, she explains. 鈥淲e can see so many opportunities鈥� and it鈥檚 really just finding the time to make it all happen.鈥�
She says her daughter makes it all worthwhile, however. She also loves hearing customers say, 鈥淭his tastes just like my grandma used to make it.鈥�
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we are. Homemade, comfort food that reminds you of growing up.鈥�
Owning a business isn鈥檛 easy, she says, 鈥渂ut never give up, and always listen to what your customers tell you because even when you think you鈥檙e right, you鈥檙e not.鈥�
Visit the Schnitzel Shack at the Winter Squamish Farmers鈥� Market, 11 a.m.聽 to 3 p.m. at Squamish Elementary School, and throughout the summer, as well as at the Whistler and Vancouver markets.
