Ukrainian bakery owners find safety, community and success in new Michigan business

MIDLAND, MI – Inside a brilliant orange building at 9 a.m. on a Friday, a line of people patiently wait their turn to order mouthwatering baked goods from a new artisan bakery in mid-Michigan.

The European bakery located at 136 Ashman Circle in Midland is drawing crowds eager to try its simple yet delicious baked goods and coffee, all made with love by Ukrainian families.

Chef Sergey’s Bakery opened to the public on Jan. 18.

Co-owner Natalia Iakovleva said their business and the community’s response so far are exactly what the team wanted.

“People love the product, and we love people. I think it’s equal exchange,” Iakovleva said.

Iakovleva said she and her business partner Chef Sergey Pokanevych and their families moved to the Midland area from Ukraine about two years to escape the war. Iakovleva had friends in Midland who invited her to come and stay with them, and Pokanevych found a family on Facebook who had posted that they were willing to help Ukrainian families, Iakovleva said.

“It helped us to start new life, and we felt very safe. This is the best community I’ve ever lived in my life,” Iakovleva said. “We really enjoy our life here, our new start here.”

Midland is a perfect fit because it feels like one big, supportive family, she said. When they opened Chef Sergey’s Bakery and were welcoming customers to their new business for the first time, customers greeted them with “Welcome to Midland.”

“That’s when I felt really that we are welcomed here and we are going to be together with this community,” Iakovleva said.

When the families left Ukraine, they came to the United States with nothing but backpacks, Iakovleva said. Without any money or credit, they couldn’t secure a loan, and that’s when the Midland community stepped in to help. The owners bought the bakery with donations from local community members. Donors’ names are displayed inside the building, Iakovleva said.

Chef Sergey’s Bakery is hiring, and the owners are searching for applicants who want to share the European lifestyle, bakery products and customers with them, Iakovleva said. They also hope to hire talented young people who are set on leaving Midland. Iakovleva said young people often look for careers in bigger cities, but they could find that here.

Between the two of them, Iakovleva and Pokanevych have owned several businesses and trained people for competitions worldwide.

“I feel like with our international level of our work ethic, and work understanding, we’re here in Midland, so there’s no need to go somewhere,” Iakovleva said. “You can stay with your family and grow here with us.”

There is a jar on the counter near the cash register, but it’s not for tips. The money left in the jar is poured right back into the business. Iakovleva said they don’t want their employees depending on tips to make ends meet, so they pay the highest salaries they can for each position.

“Safety is important feeling for us after the war. Finances are also a lot about feeling safe,” Iakovleva said. “We are responsible for our workers, for our team, for our product and customers should be responsible only for getting the joy from croissant.”

Chef Sergey’s Bakery is open from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

To learn more, visit www.sergeysbakery.com or check out their Facebook page here.

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