THE STORY OF LITTLE FOOT FOODS STARTS ALL THE WAY BACK IN 1929 WITH THE BIRTH OF JOAN DYCHA (THEN DABROWSKI) IN POLAND. IN 1938, ALONG WITH HER MOTHER AND SISTER, JOAN, IMMIGRATED TO CANADA TO REJOIN HER FATHER, WHO HAD GONE OVER AHEAD OF THEM YEARS PRIOR. GROWING UP IN WINDSOR, JOAN AND HER SISTER SPENT A LOT OF TIME HANGING OUT WITH FRIENDS IN THE POLISH COMMUNITY. JOAN WAS KNOWN FOR HER BEAUTY AND WON A FEW BEAUTY CONTESTS IN THE POLISH COMMUNITY AS A TEENAGER! CHECK OUT HER GLAMOUR SHOT! JOAN MARRIED AT 21 AND A FEW YEARS LATER SHE WAS THE MOTHER TO TWO CHILDREN (VICTORIA & RALPH (OUR CO-OWNER RACHAEL’S DAD— DO YOU SEE WHERE THIS IS GOING?). JOAN ALWAYS LOVED TO COOK AND WOULD MAKE EVERYTHING FROM SCRATCH! SHE QUESTIONED WHY ANYONE WOULD GET TAKEOUT FOOD WHEN SHE COULD MAKE THE MEAL HERSELF! SHE WAS KNOWN AMONGST FRIENDS AND FAMILY, AS AN EXCELLENT CHEF, OFTEN UTILIZING A WEALTH OF FAMILY RECIPES, WHICH INCLUDED PIEROGI, CABBAGE ROLLS AND BORSCHT.

IT WASN’T TOO LONG AFTER THAT WE MOVED TO OUR FIRST FACILITY AT TECUMSEH ROAD EAST IN WINDSOR. A PHYSICAL LOCATION GAVE US THE ABILITY TO FURTHER COLLABORATE WITH OUR COMMUNITY OF LOCAL PARTNERS BY STARTING TO RETAIL FANTASTIC PRODUCTS MADE HERE IN THE COUNTY. THE FACILITY ALSO ALLOWED US TO EXPAND OUR OPERATIONS, WE PURCHASED OUR FIRST PIEROGI MAKING MACHINE AND STOPPED FOLDING EACH INDIVIDUAL PIEROGI BY HAND (DON’T WORRY THOUGH, OUR PIROGI ARE STILL EACH INDIVIDUALLY INSPECTED!). AS DEMAND CONTINUED TO GROW, WE BEGAN RETAILING OUR PRODUCT AT GROCERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. OVER OUR TIME AT OUR FIRST FACILITY, WE CREATED OVER 100 FLAVOURS OF PIEROGI, OFTEN TIMES COLLABORATING WITH LOCAL RESTAURANTS AND FOOD PRODUCERS. WE LOVED THE SPACE AND EVEN HAD A MASSIVE MURAL PAINTED ON IT BUT, ALAS, WE STARTED TO OUTGROW THE SPACE.