A runza (also called a bierock, krautburger, fleischkuche, or kraut pirok) is a yeast dough bread pocket with a filling consisting of beef, cabbage or sauerkraut, onions, and seasonings.  Runzas can be baked into various shapes such as a half-moon, a rectangle, a round (bun), a square, or a triangle.

The runza sandwich is said to originate from pierogi, dumplings filled with savory ingredients popular in Eastern Europe, but is more closely related to the similarly named Russian dish called pirozhki (literally “little pies”). Volga Germans, ethnic Germans who settled in the Volga River valley in Russia at the invitation of Catherine the Great, adapted pirozhki to create the bierock, a yeast pastry sandwich with similar savory ingredients. When the political climate turned against the Volga Germans many emigrated to the United States, creating communities of Germans from Russia across the Great Plains. These immigrants brought their bierock recipes with them, including the Brening family that settled near Sutton, Nebraska. Sarah “Sally” Everett (née Brening), originally of Sutton, is credited with adapting her family’s bierock recipe into the runza and also inventing the name for the sandwich. In 1949, Everett went into business selling runzas with her brother Alex in Lincoln.

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Runza Restaurant

Runza (formerly Runza Drive-Inn and Runza Hut) is also the name of a fast food restaurant whose flagship menu item is the runza sandwich. Founded in 1949 by Sally Everett, inventor of the modern runza, the chain began its expansion under Sally’s son Donald Everett Sr. in 1966 and started franchising restaurants in 1979. As of November 2018, there are eighty-five Runza restaurants operating, eighty in Nebraska, two in Iowa, two in Kansas and one in Colorado. The restaurant chain is still owned by the Everett family and Sally’s grandson Donald Everett Jr. serves as President. In addition to the titular sandwich the chain serves chili and cinnamon rolls (a Midwest dish) and other fast food staples like hamburgers, french fries and onion rings.

Link to Runza’s Restaurant’s website: CLICK HERE