From preparing food for the Olympics, Nascar events, to cooking for the president, Nicholas Bijak, owner of Bijak’s Culinary Cafe in Berlin, has been across the globe on his culinary journey.
Raised in the south side of Chicago, Bijak started cooking early with his dad in soup kitchens. He truly began his career working for catering companies, hotels, and even travel cooking for events. Throughout this time he was going through school, where he won a $5,000 award for one of his recipes. After school he took a culinary trip through France, Spain, Italy, and Germany. While he was there, Bijak toured Michelin star restaurants and backpacked across the continent.
“I learned more from traveling and on job experience than I ever did in any classroom,” Bijak said.
Bijak moved to Wisconsin looking for a change of scenery. He moved to Green Lake, working at the Heidel House as an executive chef for four years. He then moved on to working at hospitals, senior living communities, and as a food consultant. After many years he finally decided he was done with the corporate world and bought a place here in Berlin.
“We opened up in November of 2022. It was brutal, a lot of regulations, a lot of contracts, a lot of building inspectors. It was rough; it took me two years. We bought the building in December of 2020 right in the middle of COVID, so it was definitely a hard time, but it all works out if you got your mind set on something,” Bijak said.
Bijak works and runs the restaurant with help from his employees. One of his employees is sophomore Connor Westerveld.
“Working at Bijack’s is pretty fun. You get to know the people really well,” Westerveld said. “I wash dishes but I also help with other stuff that Nick needs help with like cleaning, reaching things because I’m tall, and organizing things.”
Bijak’s Culinary Cafe has been open for two years now. His biggest supporter in life has been his mother, who always believed in Bijak’s dreams of being a great chef. Now, his wife and daughter help him to stay positive and keep moving forward.
Bijack’s Culinary Cafe is open Tuesdays 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bijack offers dine in and take out options, as well as catering for small and large groups. He plans to offer cooking classes in the future.
