120. Building Something That Holds: Loryn and Edo Nalic on Partnership, Perseverance, and Belonging from Balkan Treat Box

In this episode of What’s The Point?, I sit down with Loryn Nalic and Edo Nalic, partners in life and work and the force behind Balkan Treat Box, Telva, and the Ridge Room in St. Louis.

Their story isn’t just about building award-winning restaurants. It’s about displacement, resilience, trust, and what happens when two people commit to solving problems together instead of letting adversity define them.

Edo shares what it was like growing up in Bosnia during war, fleeing to Germany, living with uncertainty, and eventually coming to the United States alone. Loryn reflects on a very different upbringing—rooted in St. Louis, shaped by family, responsibility, and a lifelong relationship with food that began as a way to bring people together. Their paths couldn’t have looked more different, yet they converged through shared struggle and mutual empathy.

Their relationship began not with certainty, but with necessity and trust—formed during a period marked by financial stress, immigration challenges, and responsibility to family. Over time, that trust deepened into partnership. Together they navigated economic collapse, job changes, parenting, and the bold decision to build something of their own without guarantees.

The idea for Balkan Treat Box came from honoring roots while creating something new—food that reflected the Balkan region’s shared history rather than a single identity. What followed was anything but easy: a failed food-truck build, years of delay, advice from nearly everyone to give up, and the decision to keep going anyway. Through persistence, word-of-mouth, and genuine connection with customers, the truck slowly transformed into something people sought out—and talked about.

From there came a brick-and-mortar restaurant, the challenge of the pandemic, the humility of learning from peers, and the commitment to quality and community over convenience. Their growth continued through collaboration—within the St. Louis restaurant community, with local partners, and eventually through opportunities like serving at CITYPARK for St. Louis City SC.

Throughout the conversation, one theme keeps surfacing: belonging. Whether through food, family, or shared experience, Loryn and Edo have built places where people feel welcome, seen, and connected. Their story is a reminder that meaning often comes from consistency, partnership, and choosing to keep building—even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.

What’s The Point? is a podcast hosted by Bill Ellis featuring real conversations with people who’ve figured out what matters – their purpose. Each episode explores what motivates them and how they find meaning in what they do.

 

Connect with Bill:

• [e-mail]
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• Facebook - @CoachBillEllis
• Facebook - @bill.ellis 
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• Book: Women Who Won

Links for This Episode:

• Website: balkantreatbox.com

Email:

• Loryn Nalic - [e-mail]
• Edo Nalic - [e-mail]
• Phone - Balkan Treat Box 314-733-5700
• Address - 8103 Big Bend Blvd, Webster Groves, MO 63119

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Instagram:

• @‌balkantreatbox
• @‌lorynnalic
• @‌telvastl
• @‌ridgeroom

Facebook:

• https://www.facebook.com/balkantreatbox
• ORDER VIA GOLDBELLY:
• www.goldbelly.com/balkan-treat-box

 

Quick Episode Summary: 

• 00:00 – Welcome + Introducing Loryn and Edo Nalic
• 01:00 – Edo’s childhood in Bosnia and displacement during war
• 02:50 – Deportation, uncertainty, and starting again
• 03:15 – Loryn’s upbringing in St. Louis and early connection to food
• 05:10 – Cooking as care, connection, and identity
• 05:50 – Being a single parent and working through instability
• 06:40 – How Loryn and Edo first met
• 08:30 – Guarded trust and early impressions
• 10:30 – Empathy, shared struggle, and partnership
• 12:10 – Deportation notice and life-altering decisions
• 14:10 – Choosing to trust each other
• 16:30 – Building a relationship through adversity
• 18:40 – Economic collapse and job transitions
• 19:50 – The idea of building something of their own
• 21:30 – Choosing Balkan food as a shared identity
• 23:20 – Traveling to Bosnia for inspiration
• 26:00 – Understanding culture, food, and shared roots
• 29:00 – The food truck dream and devastating setbacks
• 30:45 – Almost giving up
• 33:20 – Community stepping in to help
• 34:20 – Learning how to sell, explain, and connect
• 36:30 – Word-of-mouth growth and pride in the work
• 38:10 – Opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant
• 42:50 – Navigating the pandemic together
• 47:30 – Collaboration within the restaurant community
• 49:20 – CITYPARK and being part of St. Louis history
• 52:00 – Telva and the evolution of their vision
• 55:20 – How they balance each other as partners
• 59:00 – What makes their partnership work
• 01:03:35 – Loryn answers: “What’s the point?”
• 01:05:00 – Edo answers: “What’s the point?”
• 01:06:40 – Closing reflections