Some dreams come and go, but for Theresia Gunawan, one dream stuck until she finally brought it to life. In 2003, while visiting Melbourne, Australia, she dined at an international pot pie restaurant that left an impression so strong she dreamed about selling pot pies herself that very night. Inspired, she returned home and began researching recipes, techniques, and the stories behind this timeless dish. After three years of planning and testing, and with more than two decades of culinary experience to draw from, she opened Pot Pie Paradise & Deli in Hayward in 2007.
Gunawan’s path to business ownership was as international as her menu. She first honed her skills working in restaurants in Indonesia, later cooking at a Japanese restaurant in Munich, Germany, before moving to the United States where she worked in food service management at an elementary school and a private college. Each step added to her knowledge and broadened her sense of flavors and techniques. “People say pot pies are comfort food,” she explained. “And with so many recipes and ideas that can go into them, they really can be for everyone.”
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