If I can do it with a food van and a dream, so can you.
This Founder Friday, we spotlight Lepa Flaiban, the entrepreneur who launched Burek on Wheels without a business plan into one of Australia’s most talked-about food brands.
In 2019, Lepa Flaiban found herself at a turning point. Her father’s sudden death had shaken everything she thought she knew about what she wanted from life.
“After the sudden loss of my father in 2019, I found myself questioning what I really wanted to do with my life,” she says. “I’d worked in hospitality for years, but I craved something more meaningful: something that honoured my parents’ sacrifices and my cultural roots.”
What came next was a food business built on tradition, family recipes, and a deep love for Balkan culture. Today, Lepa runs two growing businesses, Burek on Wheels and Baba’s Milk, that have won over customers across the country. People know her as Australia’s Princess of Balkan Soul Food.
The daughter of Serbian immigrants who came to Australia in 1969, Lepa grew up watching her father work all kinds of shifts while her mother taught her generations of family recipes in their kitchen. This is where she learned to make the traditional dishes that now define her work, though she’s quick to point out she’s just the Princess of Balkan food: her mother will always be the Queen.
The $15K leap of faith
When COVID-19 hit, Lepa saw a chance where others saw trouble. “I took a leap and bought a $15,000 food truck, partly as it gave me an excuse to get out of the house during lockdown but mainly as I wanted to see where selling traditional Balkan cuisine would take me!” It worked out better than she could have imagined. Starting with her homemade burek, a dish her mother and grandmother had taught her as a child, word spread fast through her Sydney neighbourhood.
“A wedding catering gig came in, then another. From there, Burek on Wheels was born,” she explains. What started as a lockdown project has become a full-time catering business that does up to four events per week, with their burek now sold in select independent supermarkets across Sydney.
Lepa didn’t stop there. In 2024, she launched Baba’s Milk, a creamy chocolate milk inspired by classic Balkan flavours. “I wanted to create something nostalgic that reminded me of my childhood, but with a modern twist. Something that celebrated my culture while also appealing to a new generation.” The product, dubbed ‘the greatest choccy milk’ by shock jock Kyle Sandilands, sold out in its first release. “The first batch sold out, and seeing my own mum’s face on every can felt like a full-circle moment.”
Authenticity as the ultimate growth strategy
I don’t just run a business: I’m preserving a piece of Balkan food culture for future generations
In an industry where many businesses try to appeal to everyone by watering down their identity, Lepa did the opposite. “One of the best choices I made was staying connected to my story and not trying to dilute it,” she says. “I’m not trying to ‘rebrand’ Balkan food: I’m trying to preserve it, share it, and modernise the experience without compromising on the soul.”
This commitment to authenticity has become her biggest advantage. “I didn’t try to change the food to ‘fit in’: I leaned into what made it special. Authenticity has been my biggest growth driver.” Her approach connects with customers who are drawn not just to the food, but to the story behind it. “I also think our story, a daughter of immigrants using food as a way to honour her parents while raising her own children, resonates with people. It’s not just a food business; it’s a family business in every sense.”
Lepa’s approach has been careful and sustainable. “I’ve also been incredibly intentional with how we grow. I never wanted to overextend myself, so I scaled sustainably: one wedding, one supermarket, one stockist at a time, while building a strong foundation through word-of-mouth and customer loyalty.”
The emotional connection stays central to everything she does. “What sets us apart is the heart. Everything we do is steeped in cultural meaning, tradition, and family. I don’t just run a business: I’m preserving a piece of Balkan food culture for future generations. Every Burek is handmade. Every can of Baba’s Milk carries a photo of my mum.”
Building a legacy beyond numbers
For Lepa, juggling two businesses while raising two children is “a daily juggling act,” but what drives her runs deeper than profit. “What’s helped me overcome challenges is staying connected to why I started: to honour my parents, to share the food I love, and to show my kids what’s possible when you lead with purpose.”
Her advice to aspiring business owners is refreshingly honest: “I’ve learned that there’s no ‘perfect time’ to start: you just have to move.” She talks about the importance of storytelling and bringing your whole self to your business. “Tell your story. People want to know the face behind the brand. Don’t be afraid to bring your full self into your business: your background, your culture, your struggles. It’s what will connect you to your audience.”
Looking back, Lepa is honest about the unconventional way she started. “There were so many challenges. Starting a food business in the middle of a pandemic, from a food truck, was a huge risk. I didn’t have a business plan: I had passion and a whole lot of faith.”
Focused growth
Her approach defied traditional business wisdom, but it worked because she stayed focused on what mattered. “What’s helped me overcome challenges is staying connected to why I started: to honour my parents, to share the food I love, and to show my kids what’s possible when you lead with purpose.” She’s learned that “consistency wins. You don’t need to go viral: you need to keep delivering quality, stay connected to your customers, and honour the reason you started.”
Today, as she watches people fall in love with a cuisine they’ve never tried before and sees her mother’s recipes bring joy to new families, Lepa knows she’s building something that will last. “My inspiration came from my heritage, my parents’ hard work, and the desire to keep those traditions alive, and my hope is that my children continue that legacy.”
“Ultimately, success to me isn’t just about numbers: it’s about building something meaningful that will outlive me. That’s the legacy I’m building with Burek on Wheels and Baba’s Milk.”
“If I can do it with a food van and a dream, so can you.”
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