Martin Rybak, who runs the family business Piast Meats & Provisions in Garfield and will lead the 90th Pulaski Day Parade in 2027, believes Polish American business owners have an important role to play. In his view, every contact with a customer is a chance to show Polish traditions and Polish hospitality.
A store as a showcase of Polish culture
Rybak has worked in the store his parents founded since the age of 12, and since his father’s death in 2020 he has been responsible for the company. That is the perspective from which he looks at the role of Polish businesses in America. In an interview with Super Express USA, he said business owners should serve as ambassadors of our culture.
In practice, that means kindness toward customers who are not Polish. At his stores, new visitors are encouraged to try Polish products and hear the company’s story. Those customers, he notes, remember Polish culture fondly and tell others about it. For Rybak, it is simply good business.
Support, even with a small gesture
The second thing he points to is directly supporting organizations in need, with money or with products. The Rybak family has, in fact, long sponsored Polish schools, parishes, community organizations and sports clubs, in America and in Poland. In his view, even a small gesture can have a big effect.
What unites Poles, he says, is love of the homeland, of faith and of freedom, and the same qualities make us proud of both our Polish roots and our American identity. The Polish community builds homes, parishes, businesses, teams and cultural centers, but in his view none of that can be taken for granted, because it all needs ongoing support.
Young people: meet them where they are
Rybak admits that as a child he did not much like going to Polish school in Passaic and only appreciated it years later. That is why he encourages parents to bring their children to Polish community life, from school and church to concerts, festivals, games and parades, and to keep supporting Polish schools even after their children have outgrown them. In his view, children will remember that Polish heritage mattered to their parents.
Young people need to be reached where they are, including through social media, and encouraged to share their experiences of Polish community events. Rybak is glad that more young people have been coming to the Pulaski Day Parade in recent years, and he sees growing interest in Polish clubs at schools and universities. He suggests inviting young people more often to volunteer and to take leadership roles in the Polish community.
Ahead of the anniversary parade
As Grand Marshal, Rybak wants as many people as possible to come to the 90th Pulaski Day Parade, and he is asking the Polish community to spread the word online and among family and friends. The parade will march up Fifth Avenue on Sunday, October 3, 2027. We covered his selection in Martin Rybak Named Grand Marshal of the 90th Pulaski Day Parade and told his story in our Who is Who series.
More about the company he runs is available in the Piast Meats & Provisions profile on PolishPages.
