POLISH   CONNECTIONS

Through my research, I found that most customers of Polka European Deli either lived in the surrounding area or were Polish customers that lived significantly farther. I was surprised to find that some customers lived as far east as Ajax and as far north as Markham. This data was accumulated through a random survey of 30 customers of the deli. I approached customers as they left the deli and asked for their postal codes. I also asked random customers casually why they shopped there. I received two answers each time I asked. I found through asking this question, that customers who were not Polish, said that it was their local deli and they came their for the fresh produce: bread, cheese, baked goods and cold cuts. On the other hand, the Polish consumers went to the deli specifically for Polish foods. I observed and that they bought more than just the fresh produce, a lot of them purchased other products such as Pierogies, Borsch, Kapusta and Chocolates. 

In addition to the survey and my observations within the deli, I also collected three oral history audio interviews. The clips are short, however, they are insightful and offer more evidence of the importance of the deli to Polish Canadian customers. These oral histories in addition to random discussions with customers helped provide insight on why people chose to shop at the deli. A lot of Polish customers indicated that shopping at the deli was nostalgic. They shopped there because it reminded them of Poland and was a way to preserve their culture. They liked the authentic products prepared in the Polish style or imported from Poland. At the deli, they could interact with other Polish people, speak Polish and buy Polish products. Additionally, some customers expressed the desire to support the deli because it was a Polish business started by a Polish man. Some customers also said that they could only find authentic Polish products in stores like this deli. The Polish diaspora uses this deli as a way to connect with other Polish people as well as their culture. 

The staff consisted of Polish women who were all fluent in Polish. They were friendly and willing to answer my questions, however, they were very busy with customers, so I was not able to get a lot of information from them. There were two to four staff in the deli at a time. The staff all got their jobs by knowing the owner personally or someone who worked there. A few of the staff and customers indicated that they had shopped their for years. 

The deli is located in a plaza at Markham Rd and Lawrence Ave. There is a Polish Travel Agency, Polimex Travel, and a Polish bakery, Piegus European Bakery, located in the same plaza. I found that a lot of the Polish customers of the deli that I spoke to also shopped at the bakery and paid visits to the travel agency. From conversations with customers of Polka Deli, it seems that the convenience of three Polish stores at the same location also contributes to their decision to shop there frequently. Some of the customers, although not all, told me that they had gone to the bakery or Polimex before or after visiting the deli.