Five years ago Bulgarian student Ivan Gyaurski went on a student's brigade to Alaska. Ivan studied at Saint Kliment Ohridski University in Sofia and has a bachelor's degree in social work and a master's degree in international business relations. However, he returned in Alaska to his biggest hobby-cooking. Today, Ivan owns two restaurants in Alaska. It took him two and a half years of hard work on several jobs as a barman and waiter:

“I live in Fairbanks. The city has a population of just over 100,000 people, but the number of restaurants there is quite big. I worked in some of the best restaurants in that city. However, I noticed that all of them were making the same mistakes in service and that food was the same everywhere. That is why I decided to make something new. ”

In Ivan's view, winter tourism in Fairbanks has been flourishing and that Northern Lights are the most significant tourist attraction there. The hotels nearby Ivan's restaurants are always fully booked. Ivan decided to open a pancake shop first. Pancakes are among Bulgaria's most favorite breakfast, but Ivan's shop was the first of its kind in Alaska. That is why the local fire department found it difficult to apply the fire-safety norms to his pancake equipment. Safety is a top priority in the USA, Ivan Gyaurski further says. The pancake equipment was defined as grills and the Bulgarian entrepreneur had to buy a very expensive kitchen ventilation system. As a result, he risked closing the pancake shop. However, he decided to continue struggling and finally succeeded. Today, his clients enjoy over 40 types of pancakes - with chocolate filling, fruit filling, Alfredo sauce, crème brulee, feta cheese and fruit jam (filling typical of Bulgarian pancake shops only), etc. Ivan's second restaurant offers Mediterranean and European cuisine and its menu includes Shoppa Salad, delicious stuffed vine leaves, Bulgarian-style duck soup, peppers stuffed with feta and eggs, Bulgarian-style musaka, etc.

“We have alcohol license, but people in Alaska do not like our traditional Bulgarian rakia brandy. I already found Bulgarian beer in Seattle and I am currently looking for suppliers. Things happen slowly here, because Alaska is situated thousands of kilometers away from the other US states. That is why deliveries are more expensive and time-consuming.”

Chinese food is different in different countries, because it was adapted to the local taste. Does Ivan adapt his cuisine to the taste of the Alaska citizens?

“Yes I do adapt my restaurant's food to the local taste and preferences more or less. For example, we offer pancakes with smoked salmon, because local people like salmon and many tourists also want to try Alaska salmon.”

How local people treat newcomers?

“In my view, immigrants are treated better than in Europe”, Ivan says joyfully. “America is a country of emigrants. Immigration here is something normal. Few people here are second-generation Alaskan nationals. People started to populate that state one hundred years ago when oil and gold was discovered here. There are a total of 15 Bulgarians in the city of Fairbanks. Some Moldovan, Serbian, Russian and Belarusian people also live here. As a whole, there are mainly immigrants in my encirclement.”

Ivan made a greeting at the end of our meeting:

"I would like to send a greeting to Bulgaria. I have a huge TV in my restaurant. I have 36 hours of video and constantly educate the American citizens. Most of them have never heard of Bulgaria. Some of them are like: Wow, what a beautiful country! What are you doing here? I also watch those videos quite often and do not feel the distance”, Ivan categorically said. Ivan lives in Alaska with his wife Zhana who is also Bulgarian. On the day of our interview they were celebrating St. Demetrius Day in the company of other Bulgarians. Besides, I fly to Bulgaria whenever I have that opportunity, because my family and friends are there and my heart also belongs to my home country. One day I will return to Bulgaria."

English version: Kostadin Atanasov