For Polish Immigrant, Opening Business is Dream-Come-True

When Kasia Slodkowska was growing up in Communist Poland 35 years ago, opening a boutique in a little Pennsylvania German town called Emmaus was an impossible dream.

But the trade union Solidarity became a force in 1980, Lech Walesa won the presidency in 1990 and the movement led to the collapse of Communism in not only Poland, but the rest of Eastern Europe.

Today, Slodkowska and her husband, Derick, would likely do well in the free-market system in their native country. But they still say it would be difficult.

So after a stay in New York, they have decided to make the Lehigh Valley home, where she runs Viva boutique at 1328 Chestnut Street in Emmaus and he owns Scenic View Landscaping at 6302 Sweetwood Drive in Macungie.

“I probably couldn’t do this in Poland,” she said. “Everything is harder in Poland. Now it may be easier, but when I came here to the United States 20 years ago, it was different.

“I was 20. It was the time when it was very hard to start in Poland. Over here it was easier."

Slodkowska was trained as a nurse and said she would likely be working in a hospital in Poland rather than testing her retail ability in that country.

Although she likely would not be able to leave Poland during the Communist years, she safely came to America to join her husband’s family in the 1990s.

“I was doing nursing for years, but when my husband opened his business,” she said. “I was helping him with the paper work and then stayed home.

“When my kids -- Lukas, 20, and Patrick, 13 -- got older, I decided to do something for myself…. This is the time to do something for myself.”

So one and a half years ago, she opened Viva boutique and gift shop.

“I like to shop, and I like to shop for people,“ said Slodkowska, the only employee in her store. “The store is a little bit of everything. Not only clothing. It’s jewelry and gifts for everyone.

“It’s for young people and older people. Everyone who goes here always finds something. The average customer is between 18 and 80.’’

She said she does her buying by looking for clothes and other items that she doesn’t see in stores.

“I go to New York shows and I look through the computer to find something different from the Lehigh Valley Mall or other stores,” she said.

Her best selling items are scarves and bags, and other accessories.

“Right now, people are buying summer dresses,”  she said. “They actually check everything. Most want 35 percent off.

“For men I have bracelets, rings, watches and necklaces. Customers like everything because everything is different.”

Of the dresses she pulled out, most were $80 or less.

“There are a lot of Polish people around here in the Emmaus area,” she said. “I was surprised  when I came from New York nine, almost 10 years ago. We have some people who come in and we speak Polish. It’s nice.

“When we moved here, we didn’t know a lot. Now we know a lot.’’