Residents of Dallas will soon have a new option for procuring delicious food from overseas when Gourmet European Market opens this summer.
Ukrainian native and Dallas resident Yana Turliun’s latest project will stock European products, especially those from Eastern Europe, when it opens between late July and early August. Turlin, who has a background in nutritional education, was inspired to open the shop after experiencing symptoms from food in the United States, which she believes are tied to the abundance of GMOs and preservatives.
“My first few months in the U.S., I found that I was having stomach issues that would come after I ate,” said Turlin, per CultureMap Dallas.
“I slowly determined that the food and water here were so much different from the products in Europe. So we started seeking out places to buy those products.”
While she could locate some European products in Dallas, she wanted a shop that offered a more comprehensive selection.
“We wanted to go a more inclusive route and open a concept that would be appealing to all nationalities and introduce people to the European food standards that stress non-GMO, with less additives and less preservatives, and generally more wholesome and pure products,” she said.
When it opens this summer, shoppers will have a wide selection of canned vegetables and meats, dry goods, salted and smoked fish products, grains, and more. The grocer will also include an extensive deli and a large frozen section stocking tasty items like pierogi.
Turlin even plans to offer prepared meals, like Polish apple cake, that she will cook up in a commercial kitchen.
“I want to create a place where we can get together and see there is no difference between us, no nationality, just good, healthy products we can all enjoy regardless of where we come from. When we try new things, the experience makes us look at life wider. I’m excited to people to bring our market to the community,” said Turlin.
Gourmet European Market, or GEM for short, will be located at 17435 Preston Rd., south of Frankford Rd.