Andrei & Tabita Tugulia. Photo by Dani Fresh.
Browsing the aisles of a large chain grocery store, you may find kefir, a fermented dairy beverage from Eastern Europe.
However, you likely won’t see Rom, an iconic Romanian chocolate bar. Or kvass, a Russian non-alcoholic malt beverage. Or Ukrainian sweet cream with fruit, perfect for topping on crepes.
Luckily, there’s one place locally you will find the authentic versions of all of these—and much more—Europa Market in Linglestown. The Eastern European food hub caters to the cravings of Pennsylvania’s immigrant population, folks looking to connect with their heritage or simply adventurous eaters who want to try something new.
On top of that, Europa Market is a community center seeking to forge connections and help mothers, families and individuals in need.
Tabita and Andrei Tugulia opened Europa Market and its community-minded counterpart, Front End Family Solutions, in November, nearly two decades after their own immigration from Romania. They operate as a kind of satellite location of Reading’s Romanian Community Center, enabling people from Romania and other countries in Eastern Europe to find community and support through the many journeys of life.
The market, whose neighbor is a horse that keeps an eye out on the strip, features a mini-museum of Romanian relics at the front. Two mannequins wear traditional men’s and women’s apparel, including an ie, or Romanian embroidered blouse, and pigskin shoes. The mannequin is wearing handmade socks that Andrei grew up with as a kid. A piece of woven art made by his great-grandmother, estimated to be 150 years old, hangs on the wall.
“It was a very simple life,” Andrei reminisced. “Sometimes, I miss those days.”
Photo by Dani Fresh.
Beyond the antique items, the general store features hundreds of products, about half of which come from Romania. In the back is a community room and event space, including a play area for small children. That’s where much of the Front End Family Solutions meetups occur.
With two kids and a firmly planted life in Dauphin County, the Tugulias relish their mission of meeting people with similar backgrounds and helping those who may need guidance on getting settled in a new country. There are a wide range of people who come to Europa Market from countries like Poland, Moldova, Bulgaria, Latvia and more. Pennsylvania is also home to a plethora of Ukrainians who immigrated before and during the war, and they’re welcome to find a slice of home at Europa Market.
Tabita recalled her own journey to the United States.
“It took me six or seven years to meet anyone from my country,” she said.
She’s even met customers who have been here for decades, and it’s their first time meeting people they can culturally relate to here. So, having a place like Europa Market not only to shop but to gather filled a gap.
“They come here for produce, but it’s so much more,” she said of her visitors. “They leave us with a story.”
Photo by Dani Fresh.
Pulls People In
Mid-morning, the Tugulia’s friend, Mihai, walked into the market to shop, drink coffee and chat.
“They’re a perfect match for bringing people together,” he said.
Both Tabita and Andrei are talkative and friendly, but Andrei said that he considers himself to be shy compared to his wife’s social skills.
“My wife is the one that pulls people in,” he said.
Tabita’s background in social services helps propel the mission of the work while Andrei’s experience in managing food service businesses keeps the market running smoothly.
As for what’s popular in the market, it depends where the customer is coming from and what strikes their tastes and nostalgia.
From Romania, Gusto corn puffs, Borsec mineral water, Easter bread, Zacusca spread, meats and cheeses line the shelves. From around the Eastern European region, pickled vegetables, frozen cakes, filo pies, sunflower seeds, gingerbread (which is different from the kind of gingerbread Americans know), jams, vegetable spreads, fruit juices and a whole slew of other delicacies are at the ready.
Their current stock is just the beginning.
“Our greatest resource is our customers,” Andrei said.
In fact, they regularly take suggestions from people looking for a specific item.
Meanwhile, Front End Family Solutions operates behind the scenes, hosting a range of events like mom cafés, family nights out, international fundraisers, craft and painting gatherings and holiday events for families who need a welcoming place to celebrate. They also host birthday parties, using 10% of the proceeds to subsidize parties for children in low-income families. Meanwhile, the organization provides additional services like mentoring and small business consultancy.
In short, Tabita and Andrei have their hands full, but they wouldn’t have it any other way.
“At the end of the day, when we put the kids to bed, we feel like it’s our mission,” Andrei said
If they can make a difference in someone’s life each day, they say, they’re happy. And if they can do it while bringing a taste of home—wherever that may be—to the people around them, all the better.
Europa Market and Front End Family Solutions are located at 5821 Linglestown Rd., Suite 106, Harrisburg (Linglestown), in the rear of the building. For more information, visit www.myeuropamarket.com, www.frontendfamilysolutions.com and their Facebook pages.
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