Petra Orlowski’s passion for pasta led her to open Semolina MKE. This love for pasta started with her Italian grandmother's Sunday dinners, where the entire family gathered and made pasta. Petra says that “pasta is a way of life for us.” A picture of Petra’s grandmother hangs in the front of her Bay View store, and Petra feels as though she is watching over her.

Petra is one of the many people who decided to use the downtime of the pandemic to pursue their passions. “There are so many beautiful pastas throughout Italy, and different regions have different specialties, and I took it upon myself to learn how to make them, to share them with people who’ve never seen them or eaten them,” said Petra.