Pierogies, pickles and paczki: Discover what’s new at this Polish market in Pineville
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- Zygma expanded in 2023 to meet rising demand with a 5,000-square-foot space.
- The deli offers Polish staples like kielbasa, pierogies and paczki weekly.
- Co-owner Agnes Zelazko plans future growth while preserving family legacy.
Amid the hustle and bustle of Polk Street sits Zygma European Groceries and Deli, a Polish market opened almost 15 years ago by Polish immigrants Marta and Zygmunt Zelazko.
The couple moved from New Jersey to North Carolina to create a special space that was reminiscent of their home country. Zygma welcomed its first customers with a smoky aroma of fresh kielbasa, a decorated space filled with jars of pickled cucumbers and mustard and canisters filled with assorted chocolates.
Within five years, the grocery store and deli attracted many Europeans who were moving to the area, and shelves and aisles of the 1,500-square-foot space were quickly overflowing to meet the growing demand for inventory.
“It was packed, and people would have to stand outside,” said Agnes Zelazko, Marta and Zygmunt’s daughter-in-law.
Now, she is the co-owner and operator of Zygma, alongside her husband. In 2020, Agnes left behind her career as a nurse and took over the business after Marta and Zygmunt decided to retire and return to Poland.
Zygma carries on Polish heritage and identity
In order to ensure that the Polish tradition would continue, Zelazko made the decision in 2023 to relocate to a bigger space a few blocks down. While the deli counter may have more room to squeeze in Gypsy ham and Polish farmer’s cheese, Zygma remains warm and inviting. It’s a destination that offers an authentic taste of Polish culture and cuisine.
“I saw a lot of potential,” Zelazko told CharlotteFive. “I wasn’t sure if we could afford it, but me and my husband decided we would take a risk and try it — and that was one of the ingredients to our success.”
But even in the new 5,000-square-foot space, Zelazko said the store can get crowded, especially around the holidays.
“People will stand in line for an hour or two. It stresses me out because I wish that I could speed it up, but what makes me happy is seeing people standing in line, talking and laughing. And they give me the impression that they don’t care that they’re standing in line,” Zelazko said.
“Customers tell me that it’s worth the wait.”
With increasing demand for Polish and European products, Zygma now serves lunch. Offerings include a variety of pierogies, including potato and cheese or onion; sauerkraut and mushroom; and sweet cheese, all made with Polish flour.
Customers will also find stuffed cabbage, grilled sausage and pork chops. A catering menu is available and features hearty hunter stew, sauerkraut and potato salads, and, of course, a tray of pickles for snacking, garnished with paprika, mushrooms and beets.
Zelazko hopes to eventually expand the menu options further. Until then, customers can peruse the aisles for potato pancakes and blintzes, an assortment of horseradish and spices, and confectionery wafers.
Walk down the rainbow-colored candy aisle and find Zygma’s popular chocolate, filled with plum, brandy or cherry liquor, which can be purchased by the pound.
On Thursdays, Zygma offers paczki, a traditional Polish pastry filled with jelly, jam or plum butter, as well as daily offerings of danishes, fruit cakes, angel wing cookies and poppyseed and nut rolls.
Polish, Ukrainian, Czech and Romanian beer, as well as a selection of European wines, are also available.
With such a vast selection, Zelazko said she enjoys helping customers pick out products — especially deli meat and cheese — and offers samples to taste, teaching them about Polish and European cuisine.
Customers are also invited to enjoy a curated assortment of other delicacies, including German ham and Hungarian salami. Try a piece of kielbasa, known for its earthy and slightly sweet flavor with a prominence of garlic, or a bite of mild and milky farmer’s cheese, which will leave taste buds tangy.
Polish grocery honors the past, embraces the future
While Zelazko has no immediate plans to expand Zygma, she has considered opening a second location. She also dreams of one day opening a restaurant adorned with rustic wood tables surrounding a fire and sharing her love for Polish food with others in a more intimate setting.
“As a child in Poland, we didn’t have money, and my parents were working hard … My mother would make us a piece of bread with sour cream and sugar on it, and it was the best food ever,” Zelazko said.
“It showed me all of the different tastes that you can have fun with and can enjoy, and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune.”
Will this childhood favorite make an appearance on a future menu? Zelazko couldn’t say for sure. “[The restaurant] is my dream. I always try to go for my dreams,” Zelazko said.
“I keep thinking about it and can’t get it out of my head, so maybe one day.”
Despite a desire for growth, one thing that will not change is the name of the market, which honors Zelazko’s mother and father-in-law. Z-Y-G are the first three letters of her father-in-law’s first name, Zygmunt and M-A are the first two letters of mother-in-law’s first name, Marta.
“[Owning Zygma] was never something that I thought that I would do. I was always a nurse and thought that would be what I would do my whole life, and switching from nursing to business was hard. But [Marta] showed me the right ways and taught me a lot,” Zelazko said.
“I’m grateful for that and I’m grateful for the business that they gave to us and trusted us to keep it going.”
Zygma European Groceries and Deli
Location: 804 N Polk St, Pineville, NC 28134
Cuisine: Polish, European
Instagram: @zygmadeli
This story was originally published July 1, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
