Veselka's founder, Wolodymyr Darmochwal, was an agronomist and the director of a large agricultural cooperative in Ukraine. In 1944, he and his family - wife Olha, son Mykola and daughter Marta - fled the war and arrived in America by way of a refugee camp in Germany. He worked a variety of jobs to support his family, and he was active in the Ukrainian community of Manhattan's East Village. In 1954, he was instrumental in helping the Ukrainian Youth Organization (PLAST) buy its headquarters on Second Avenue. To support the venture, he purchased a candy shop and newsstand that had operated out of the corner of the building. With poetic flair, an entrepreneurial spirit and a great deal of optimism, he named the store "Veselka" - the Ukrainian word for "Rainbow."The original Veselka occupied about a quarter of its current space. In October 1962, during a period in which the East Village was experiencing a renaissance - and Veselka was growing along with the neighborhood - the store expanded by combining with a small luncheonette next door. Veselka's fledgling restaurant business was born, offering a full menu of Ukrainian dishes that quickly gained a reputation for great meals at affordable prices. The next major expansion occurred in 1970 when another adjacent store on Ninth Street was acquired and transformed into Veselka's dining room. Although modest in size, it became a regular meeting place for Ukrainian community gatherings and cultural events. As the 1970's progressed, the customer base began to shift and soon reflected a cross-section of the changing community. The East Village was increasingly populated by artists, writers, hippies, actors and students who sought an inexpensive yet creative area in which to live and work.
web: http://www.veselka.com/
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