Neepawa Ukrainian family turns dream into business

SOURIS — A Ukrainian family that settled in Neepawa four years ago has turned an idea born from community observation into a new local business.

Happy Clover Food Truck is now serving customers across Neepawa and at community events throughout Westman, offering a menu that includes shawarma, bubble waffles, specialty hot dogs, coffee and ice cream.

Veronika Plis said the business is owned by her parents, Roman and Nataliia Zhuniak, while she helps with translating, meetings and customer interactions as the family continues to strengthen its English skills.

“We started the business because we wanted to create a place where parents could grab a coffee or ice cream with their children during the day, while teenagers could have somewhere to stop during evening walks,” she told the Sun when the food truck family set up at the 2026 Souris Peacock Days & Fair earlier this month.

“We wanted to make people happy there. We wanted to make something new for them so they can enjoy.”

The idea for the food truck began taking shape in September 2025. By November and December, the family was searching for a suitable truck and connecting with people who could help them build the business.

What sets Happy Clover apart, Plis said, is its “unusually large menu” and the family’s effort to bring flavours from their Ukrainian background to Manitoba.

Among the signature items are bubble waffles — a dessert the family had not seen available in Neepawa — and shawarma, a popular street food they enjoyed in Ukraine.

Their hot dogs also feature custom buns made using a Ukrainian recipe rather than standard store-bought bread, she said.

“We order them with our recipe,” Plis said. “That’s what makes it unique.”

She said shawarma has become the truck’s standout item.

“People who first try shawarma, they always come back,” she said. “No matter who they are. Ukrainian people are excited to find it, but Canadian people and people from other countries try it and come back again and again.”

Running a food business has brought both rewards and challenges.

Plis said one of the biggest ongoing tasks is carefully planning food orders around event schedules so ingredients stay fresh and are not stored longer than necessary.

She also enjoys the social side of the business.

“Usually people are really friendly,” she said. “If it’s not too busy, we kind of chat a little bit. It’s actually really fun.”

The family faced several hurdles during startup, including finding the right truck and perfecting their hot dog buns. They approached multiple businesses before finding a baker willing to repeatedly refine the recipe until it met their standards.

Financing was another major obstacle.

Because the family had not yet obtained Canadian citizenship when launching the business, securing a loan was difficult. Plis said Community Futures stepped in with support.

“They believed in us, and they did give us a loan,” she said. “We are really grateful that they believed in us.”

The Zhuniak family is already thinking about expansion. Their goal is to add a second food truck within the next one to two years so they can attend multiple events at the same time.

They also hope to eventually open a small café or restaurant in Neepawa, complete with a children’s play area where families could relax while kids play.

“The restaurant is just an idea that we really want to do in the future,” Plis said. “We’re not sure when, but we know we will.”

For Plis, who is entering Grade 11 at Neepawa Area Collegiate, balancing school, personal life and the food truck has been demanding.

“It’s been a little bit hard with the food truck and then school and my personal life,” she said. “But my mom always told me to separate those things — your personal life, your business and your school.”

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