Today we’d like to introduce you to Luljeta Saljanin.
Hi Luljeta, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My journey began on a small farm in Montenegro, where life was simple but far from easy. My days revolved around helping my family and caring for our animals. My parents taught me how to grow fruits and vegetables, butcher meat, make Rakia (traditional Balkan whiskey), and cook the authentic dishes that carried generations of memory and pride.
As a child, I didn’t fully understand the weight of our struggles. But one night still echoes in my mind — the quiet sound of my mother’s tears as she worried about our next meal. That moment changed me. It lit a fire deep inside, a promise that I would one day break the cycle and create something better for us.
My parents worked tirelessly, supporting not only us three children, but also my grandparents, great-grandparents, and even others who had less than we did. From them, I learned the meaning of sacrifice and compassion. I spent my childhood tending animals, cutting grass with a scythe, milking cows, and helping with the crops. Breakfast was often bread soaked in tea, and dinner was soft rice or potatoes, simple meals, but always shared with love.
By the age of seven, I was already looking for ways to help more. I asked my teachers and people in town where they bought their milk and cheese, offering to sell ours for less, and to let them taste the difference. Word spread quickly, and soon our family became known for quality, honesty, and trust.
That trust became the foundation of my life philosophy — and my first lesson in business: necessity can give birth to purpose.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
At seventeen, in the year 2000, I left my home in Montenegro because of the war. I came to the United States with nothing — no money, no family, no English, and no plan beyond simply surviving. I found work washing dishes in an Italian restaurant. My early years were brutally hard: living on twenty-five cent ramen, bathing at hotel pool showers, and riding my bicycle miles away. I trusted easily, but life soon taught me that not every smile hides good intentions.
In 2002, someone close to me reported me to immigration. What followed were thirteen years of legal battles, working endless shifts, and fighting to stay in the country — all while sending money home to support my parents. Despite it all, I worked seven days a week, fifteen-hour shifts. When things were darkest, angels appeared in the form of kind people — a new boss who saw my potential and work ethic, a cook who took me under his wing and taught me the kitchen, and a waitress with a sharp tongue who taught me the value of money. I learned English at work, often through laughter and broken phrases shouted across a busy kitchen. By twenty-one, I bought my first car. By twenty-five, my first home — all while still fighting to make my place in this country..
Then, in 2013, after thirteen years of struggle, I finally received my green card, and later, my U.S. citizenship. The government recognized their mistake — and my perseverance was finally rewarded. That moment wasn’t just paperwork; it was proof that no matter how hard life becomes, hope, faith, and determination can carry you through anything.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Through it all, the kitchen became my sanctuary — a place where the noise of the world faded, and I could pour my heart into every dish. I dreamed of one day owning my own restaurant, a place where I could share love and comfort through food. I dedicated myself completely, learning, mastering, and eventually managing the kitchen. Three years later, that dream began to take shape followed by an additional 15 years leading a successful Italian restaurant, infusing it with my own recipes, passion, and soul.
Then a new opportunity came my way — an investor invited me to help lead a French restaurant under a three-Michelin-star chef. I was nervous, but my passion pushed me forward. I began again from the bottom, learning with humility and working my way up to sous chef, then executive chef, leading a team of more than twenty. That experience didn’t just teach me technique, it deepened my love for the craft and reminded me how far passion and perseverance can take you.
In 2023, I bought Eddie’s Pizza in Longwood, Florida — a dream twenty-five years in the making. What began as a survival job had become my greatest passion. Now, I bring together my Balkan roots, my French and Italian culinary arts and training, and my lifelong mission: to make people feel cared for through food.
Every time a customer thanks me for their meal, I’m reminded of where it all began —
of the seven-year-old carrying milk through the snow,
the seventeen-year-old washing dishes in a foreign land,
and the twenty seven-year-old immigrant who never gave up on the promise of a better life.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
If I could give one piece of advice to anyone just starting out, it would be this: don’t hold back. Always put yourself out there. I’ve always believed that my food speaks for itself, and it does — but I’ve learned that sometimes, you have to speak for it too. I wish I had shared more of myself and my passion earlier on, because that’s where I held back. So don’t wait — let your voice, your passion, and your food shine together. When you do, people will feel it, and that connection is everything.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://luljetasaljanin200.wixsite.com/eddiespizzalongwood
- Instagram: eddiespizzalongwood
- Facebook: eddiespizzalongwood
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/eddies-pizza-longwood-2
