N.C. Made: Ukrainian refugee builds snack business after resettling in Raleigh

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- What started as a mother's mission to feed her children healthy food has turned into a growing small business, Arti Bar, for a Ukrainian refugee in Raleigh.

Viktoriia Gorbachevska fled Ukraine in 2022 with her husband and two young sons after the war with Russia began.

"I left my home the very first day when we heard the explosion. It was 4 a.m. We packed one backpack and moved toward the border," she said.

Working with the U.S. State Department, the family was resettled in Raleigh, where a local woman welcomed them into her home for six months. Gorbachevska said the kindness helped restore her trust in people.

Starting over in North Carolina meant adjusting to a new language, new rules, and new food. In Ukraine, Gorbachevska cooked everything from scratch, often using food grown by her father. She said she was shocked to see so many processed products in American grocery stores.

To give her sons healthier options, she began making snack bars from simple, whole ingredients. Her boys loved them, then friends and neighbors began asking for them. Soon, word spread and Arti Bar was born.

"It's not a profit-driven company. It's more like passion-driven," she said. "It's something that makes me feel good, that I can give back to people and communities, something good to make them feel good and to feel good to their body."

Arti Bar is now sold at local farmers' markets, including North Hills, and at retailers such as NoFo at the Pig, Weaver Street Market, Hartwell, and several shops in Asheville.

Gorbachevska said she is grateful to be part of such a welcoming community. "We're so grateful to be here. It feels like home," she said.

Her dream, she added, is to build a company that people can trust.