Opinions on name for a perogy restaurant

November 7, 2015 9:51 PM

Hey guys so my mom is opening a new lunch spot serving homemade perogies and such, and we're trying to finalize a business name for her.

We're getting a bunch of conflicting opinions, so I figured I'd ask the intelligent folks on here for some opinions. We've narrowed it down to the following:

The People's Perogy (perogy being singular, as in a "sacred" singular perogy for all)

or should we pluralize the perogy and go with The People's Perogies, or we can drop the word "the" completely as well and go with People's Perogy or People's Perogies. Let me know what you guys think :)

posted by darkhorse83 to Food & Drink (35 answers total)

Unless you're talking about something else, isn't it spelled pierogi? And the plural of pierogi is pierogi.
posted by greta simone at 9:56 PM on November 7, 2015 [10 favorites]

That Pierogi Place
Pulaski's Pierogi Palace
Pierogis and Beer and Pierogis
posted by bottlebrushtree at 10:08 PM on November 7, 2015

Are you in a location where Pierogi are very common and known by many?
posted by k8t at 10:12 PM on November 7, 2015

Response by poster: Yes, definitely! We're in Alberta, Canada. The perogy/pierogi capital of Canada haha. Got a kick out of "That Pierogi Place".. good one! :)
posted by darkhorse83 at 10:18 PM on November 7, 2015

I like The People's Pierogi. That reminds me of a great place in Portland Oregon called The People's Pig.
posted by hydra77 at 10:21 PM on November 7, 2015 [3 favorites]

Pierogi Planet
Pierogi Hut
Pierogi Please!
Pierogi Heaven
Babushka's kitchen

But I had a thought... What if she expands beyond pierogi?
posted by k8t at 10:26 PM on November 7, 2015

OP, you are not asking for new name suggestions, right? Just choosing between the variations you've presented in your question?

If so, definitely "People's Pierogi." Definitely do "Pierogi," don't try to pluralize it, and don't try to spell it another way or else people will give you lots of grief and assume you aren't authentic (even if that's a wrong assumption). I could go either way on the "The," but I find "The"s leading off restaurant names to sound a bit affected.

Now I freaking want some pierogi!
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 10:45 PM on November 7, 2015 [6 favorites]

I like "the people's" better than just "people's". The former is making a statement. The latter just sounds generic -- it makes me think of a diner.
posted by sevenyearlurk at 10:50 PM on November 7, 2015 [4 favorites]

I would check in Google to see if searches for pierogi redirect to perogy. I live in Vancouver and most people spell it "perogy" and I think that is how most packaged products are sold in Canada, too. I would pick the spelling people are most likely to use online and in looking it up.
posted by Chaussette and the Pussy Cats at 11:04 PM on November 7, 2015 [2 favorites]

I disagree with those who are "correcting" the spelling -- if "perogy" is the common spelling in your part of Alberta (and very cursory Googling suggests that it is at least a common spelling, derived from Ukrainian rather than Polish) then it is perfectly appropriate for a restaurant in, well, Alberta.

The People's Perogy sounds good to me!
posted by aws17576 at 11:06 PM on November 7, 2015 [6 favorites]

Response by poster: I've noticed that a lot, if not most of our friendly neighbours to the south spell it the traditional way, "pierogi", while us Canucks typically use "perogy". Not sure which would be the best option at this point! But you definitely bring up a good point
posted by darkhorse83 at 11:07 PM on November 7, 2015 [1 favorite]

Even Lay's Canada spells it Perogy.
posted by Zedcaster at 11:10 PM on November 7, 2015

I would definitely go with "The People's Perogy," (and definitely use the regional spelling). It sounds very mildly anachronistic/off-kilter in a way that could read as either "hip" or wholesome depending on how/if you care to brand it.
posted by wreckingball at 11:15 PM on November 7, 2015 [4 favorites]

I like "The People's Perogy"

and do some cool artwork that spoofs soviet propaganda posters, except instead of the people holding tools or weapons, they are holding forks with perogies on them.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 11:31 PM on November 7, 2015 [14 favorites]

I think "The People's Perogy" name and a logo that is some iteration of the Polish Eagle would look awesome.

Though I don't know if perogi's are associated with Poland where you are but I grew up in Cleveland, where delicious perogis are considered a Polish-American thing.
posted by mcmile at 11:41 PM on November 7, 2015

Response by poster: Some great input here guys! Thank you sooo much!

mcmile - perogies are often associated with Ukranian's in these parts, but we're a Polish family so that's of course what we associate them with ;)
posted by darkhorse83 at 11:46 PM on November 7, 2015

The Pierogi Preogagtive.

(Could also be a Robert Ludlum novel)
posted by esto-again at 11:49 PM on November 7, 2015 [4 favorites]

I vote for "The People's Perogy". Although note with 5_13's suggestion that type of iconography is very close to what Perogy Boyz uses for their food truck - although that's only a problem in the Calgary region, obviously.
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 11:58 PM on November 7, 2015

Response by poster: You guys are all amazing, thank you for taking the time to reply!
posted by darkhorse83 at 12:18 AM on November 8, 2015

Perogy and Hoagie
The Prodigious Perogy
Prince of Perogy
Perogy Pier
posted by benzenedream at 12:23 AM on November 8, 2015

Another vote for "The Peoples' Perogy."

"People's Perogy," without "The," makes me think of "People's Drug," although I don't even know if you had that in Canada.
posted by teponaztli at 3:59 AM on November 8, 2015

The Polski Perogy
posted by EndsOfInvention at 4:25 AM on November 8, 2015 [1 favorite]

Yet another vote for "The People's Perogy" and for opening a second location nearer me.
posted by drlith at 5:12 AM on November 8, 2015 [3 favorites]

I go back to Alberta every Christmas - I am praying this is in my hometown. I'll be on the lookout for The People's Perogy, which is also my vote!!
posted by thebots at 7:09 AM on November 8, 2015

For everybody who is saying this is a Ukrainian version of the spelling, it's not. Ukies don't use that term, unless they're talking to "English" people who don't know the Ukrainian versions. So to me when I read the title, it screamed Polish to me. If that's what your background is then this delivers that message. I would assume your colours would be some version of red and white, based on your preferred name. (It would be varenyky or pedaheh in Ukrainian, depending if you want to be formal or casual.)
posted by sardonyx at 8:44 AM on November 8, 2015

I'm more familiar with perogy as the spelling (lived in Alberta for 10 yrs) but I wouldn't care how it was spelled, I'd just GO THERE AND EAT THEM ALLLL NOM NOM NOM

Sounds delicious either way, but my vote is for The People's Perogy.
posted by bighappyhairydog at 10:06 AM on November 8, 2015

I would avoid playing up the USSR side of things, especially in a restaurant named for serving a traditionally Polish dish. Parody posters and signage that seems kitsch and fun to people from the West can have an entirely different effect on people from the former Soviet Union who might associate that imagery with some horrible stuff, and I've never met a Polish person who took any pride at all in having been a part of the USSR anyway.

The People's Perogy is a fine name on its own without the other baggage. I also like 'That Perogy Place' because I am a sucker for that gimmick.
posted by neonrev at 10:31 AM on November 8, 2015

The People's Perogy / Pierogi, please! (And please sell in (R)Edmonton, and please have some gluten-free ones!)
posted by Edna Million at 11:58 AM on November 8, 2015

Response by poster: Thank you again everyone for all of your input! We will most likely be going with our initial thought and the overwhelming majority vote for The People's Perogy. You guys are awesome!
Look out for us in Edmonton in the next 2-3 months in the north west part of the city, just off of St. Albert Tr. It's going to be a nice little fast casual place with a modern industrial feel. The food will be super fresh and delicious, I promise! :) We sincerely hope to see all of you great folks there!
posted by darkhorse83 at 2:06 PM on November 8, 2015 [3 favorites]

I would avoid playing up the USSR side of things, especially in a restaurant named for serving a traditionally Polish dish.

*sigh*

It's Alberta, not Chicago. Ukrainian, not Polish.

(Still, though: Yeah. Nix the Soviet shit.)
posted by Sys Rq at 3:07 PM on November 8, 2015

Going Perogy.
The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perogy.
Mission Impossible : Perogy Nation.
Perogy Trader.
Kylie Perogy.
posted by w0mbat at 4:08 PM on November 8, 2015

(Perogy Nation actually kind of works)
posted by w0mbat at 4:15 PM on November 8, 2015

Oh, I like Going Pierogi!

I must get Pierogis next time I'm back in Chicago.

Good luck with the restaurant!
posted by persona au gratin at 2:30 AM on November 9, 2015

The Pierogi Academy. This is based on a great restaurant in Germany called The Schnitzel Academy.
posted by waving at 8:13 AM on November 9, 2015

Huh, didn't know it was often spelled "perogy" up north. I even have a good friend from Edmonton, and just two weeks ago, we were discussing traditional central/eastern European foods on instant messenger, and he spelled it "pierogi"!

Anyhow, I think you've picked a good name, and if/when I'm back in Edmonton, I look forward to checking your place out!
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 10:31 PM on November 9, 2015