Today we’d like to introduce you to Yana Peremoga.
Hi Yana, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
In 2017, my family and I moved to the USA from Ukraine, specifically to San Francisco. We were 35 years old and had children aged 3 and 6. Additionally, we had 12,000 dollars in our pocket, which we immediately paid for three months’ rent. We were left with 200 dollars, a lot of optimism, goals, and love for each other and the world. Well, I baked cakes in Ukraine and decided to bake cakes here. I baked chocolate, red velvet, and carrot cakes. But these cakes were fashionable in Ukraine, and here they are American cakes, which are available everywhere. And my customers, my compatriots who had moved long ago, wanted cakes from their childhood. Cakes that were popular back home. My customers told me: we want Napoleon and Medovik! Cakes that our mothers, grandmothers, and aunts baked. Cakes that in Ukraine were always present for birthdays, New Year’s, and Christmas. And I did it! I started baking specifically these cakes and only these cakes. But a little about my name. My name is Yana Peremoga. It’s my pseudonym. In 2007, I decided to write a book. I was thinking about the name. And my friend said, “Call yourself Yana Peremoga! It’s so you!” Because Peremoga in Ukrainian means VICTORY. Thus, was born my small Ukrainian cake-selling company named Yana Peremoga. After 9 months, when our business was flourishing, we went on vacation to Los Angeles. And we fell in love with this city. We made the decision to move to LA in just a few days, and by the summer of 2018, we began selling and baking our cakes in sunny LA. By that time, our goal was not just to earn a living. It was about giving people emotions. For our immigrant compatriots, it was wonderful memories from childhood; for Americans, it was an introduction to Ukrainian desserts. We also continued to bring cakes to San Francisco every 2-3 weeks and made cake deliveries throughout Los Angeles County. Now, we recall that time as one of the happiest. My husband and I would take our little children in the car which was half-loaded with refrigerators full of cakes. We would set out at night, deliver cakes to each customer’s address during the day, and drive back home to LA on the same night. We were tired but happy. Customers would send me messages of gratitude and eagerly await our next deliveries. We had rented a commercial kitchen; our assortment had expanded a little. But then Covid started. It was one of the most challenging times in the business. Yet we endured and continued to deliver cakes. Then the war in Ukraine began. Some customers who supported the war unfollowed me on Instagram. But there were only a few. Since 2022, my followers increased by 5,000. And it’s not only my compatriots, it’s everyone who wants to try Ukrainian cakes. People come back for our cakes again and again. Despite the difficulties that occurred since 2020, we have grown! Today, many people know the cakes of Yana Peremoga. We also bake them in a commercial kitchen and now have a team of 8 people. We deliver cakes not only in LA, we also continue to bring cakes to San Francisco, Orange County, and San Diego. Sometimes, we transport cakes to Chicago. Our goals have remained unchanged. Slowly but surely, we continue to introduce everyone to Ukrainian desserts, and in the future, we plan to open a store and hope it won’t be just one.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The biggest difficulty then and now is the English language. Due to having small children, expensive rent, and nursery fees, we couldn’t afford for both of us to study. My husband started working in moving on the third day after arrival. I began baking cakes at home to be near the children and later to drive them to school. So, there was no practice of the language. If I had good English, I believe I would have achieved greater results in a shorter period of time. For instance, communicating with potential investors property owners.
As you know, we’re big fans of Yana Peremoga LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
We sell cakes. Only Ukrainian cakes, the ones known by everyone who lived in Ukraine or visited. These are Napoleon, Medovik, and Bird’s Milk. There are many recipes for these cakes; each hostess has her own. In every region of Ukraine, each recipe is unique and impeccably delicious. But all these cakes are united by a common base of creams and layers. And yes, initially, we baked cakes for our immigrants. We wanted to remind them of home, family, childhood. Despite all the difficulties in the world related to the rise in fuel prices food, our cake prices have not changed since 2021. We want to maintain our goal – for as many people as possible to try our cakes. We make cakes every day, so they are fresh. That’s why we bake on a pre-order basis. We have chosen a convenient location for cake pickup, and we also have delivery.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Certainly! Time and health are priceless! That’s why we did deliveries day and night. We implemented contactless delivery to reduce the risk of Covid transmission. Yet, we never stopped baking cakes; a delicious cake delivered to your door is one of the best therapies.
Pricing:
- Napoleon cake $40/8-10 servings (2lb)
- Honey cake $40/8-10 servings (2lb)
- Bird’s Milk cake $60/10 servings (2.5lb)
- Napoleon cake $75/12-16 servings (4lb)
- Honey cake $75/12-16 servings (3.5lb)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.yanaperemoga.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/yanaperemogacake?igshid=MXJ0ZDQ0NGdkZjFyYQ==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yana.naumov
Image Credits
Oleg Kharchenko
Yana Peremoga
