Today we’d like to introduce you to Elna Kolarich.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
BaoliciousATL began in 2021 when I wanted to return to Atlanta’s food pop-up scene. However, the idea began in 2011 under the pop-up name Sarap Atlanta which focused on Filipino comfort food and siopaos aka steamed buns. I made traditional and nontraditional siopaos. Fast forward to 2021, as much has I wanted to offer Filipino comfort food, it wasn’t feasible with my work and family schedule. I needed something that was scalable and something that challenged me to be more creative. Siopaos/steamed buns fit that mold. This was how BaoliciousATL was born.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Time and manpower. I have a full-time job and a family and I’m a one-woman show. Even though the steamed buns are freezable, I struggle with making enough for every pop-up. I average about 500. Some of it is also self-inflicted. LoL. I really do enjoy making them and want to share it with everyone so I end up popping up more than I should. I could also limit the variety of steamed buns (there’s usually about 10 different kinds at each pop-up) but I feel like I’m doing a disservice. I want everyone to have an option and enjoy it.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Baolicious ATL is a pop-up that specializes in steamed buns. Everything is made from scratch including the dough. I think what sets BaoliciousATL apart from others is the quality and that there are no other pop-ups or restaurants that offer nontraditional steamed buns.
What I’m most proud of is being able to share my love of steamed buns and how everyone is enjoying them too.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I was a shy and quiet kid. This had to do with us moving a lot. I spent my early childhood, middle school and early twenties overseas. My way of adapting to a new environment was through cooking and baking. That’s how I made new friends.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: BaoliciousATL
Image Credits
@minoba1982
