During the spring 2024 semester, Lancaster Bible College students heard some sweet words of wisdom from a local business leader who has a heart to change her community through entrepreneurship. Then, just a few months later, an LBC alumna joined the ranks of her company and is making impact as well.

Stroopies co-owner Jennie Groff speaks to LBC students in chapel in March 2024.

In March, Jennie Groff, co-owner and CEO of Stroopies, Inc., and the Lancaster Sweet Shoppe, was a featured chapel speaker and talked with LBC students about how owning a business can impact the greater good—especially when the seed of an idea is turned over to God for His purposes. Today, Business Administration graduate Emerson Higley (’24) is part of the Stroopie story as well [read more about Emerson’s journey below].

But first, what is a Stroopie? This thin, chewy, sweet—and delicious—waffle cookie has Dutch origins, with stroopwafels common throughout Holland and the Netherlands. In fact, Jennie’s husband, Jonathon, and his family have enjoyed these comforting confections for decades after their Dutch friends from Holland shared a recipe. Stroopwafels are designed to be rewarmed while sitting on top of a hot beverage and are just the right size to be perched on a coffee mug or teacup.

In Lancaster, Pa., the Stroopies story began when Ed McManness and his family enjoyed the delicious Dutch stroopwafel during their frequent visits to Europe from Indonesia—always served with a hot drink in canal side cafes. It became a tradition to buy extras for morning treats or afternoon snacks, as well as for gifts to friends and family in the U.S. Everyone loved the waffly cookie and wondered where to get more, so in 2007, Dan Perryman and his family left Las Vegas to work with Ed. Together they founded the Lancaster-based Stroopies company in 2008.

In 2010, Jennie and Jonathon joined the Stroopies family with a desire to see the business continue to grow in support of the refugee community. Jonathon’s background working with sweets in his family business, Groff’s Candies, made it a natural fit.

Jennie shared that even as a child, she had an interest in business and, growing up on a dairy farm, sold drinks as a way to make a bit of money and interact with others. Coupled with her early acumen for business, Jennie had a heart for people, too.

Fast-forward to Jennie’s adulthood and, at the start, she and Jonathon weren’t sure where the Stroopies idea would take them. But when a New York-based business placed a $26,000 order, “God used that as a spark to help the company take off,” Jennie said. To date, it is still the largest order in the Stroopies’ history.

In 2016, the Groffs opened the Lancaster Sweet Shoppe at 141 N. Duke Street in Lancaster City as the home of Stroopies. The shop is now a downtown destination thanks to the amazing aroma of cinnamon and caramel wafting from the waffle presses, as approximately 12,000 Stroopies are handmade each week on site. They are then sold locally, including at Arts & Culture events at Lancaster Bible College, or shipped nationwide.

Handmaking the Stroopies is a story in itself. Jennie and Jonathon desired to lead a business that was about much more than making cookies. Stroopies’ guiding principle is to provide meaningful employment to resettled refugee women in Lancaster. Jennie recalled how the Groffs looked outside the box when it came to their business: “If we give this start of an idea to Jesus,” they thought, “it could provide shelter and refuge.”

Worldwide, according to the Stroopies website, 60 million refugees have been forced to flee their countries due to war, natural disasters or drought. The City of Lancaster highlights its designation of a Certified Welcoming City by Welcoming America as well as the recognition of Lancaster as “America’s refugee capital” for resettling 20 times more refugees per capita than the rest of the nation.

About 20 resettled refugee women from Sudan, Congo, Nepal, Burma and beyond are now part of the Stroopies family and are experiencing life change. Their connection with Stroopies helps them to launch into other careers, learn English through classes that are part of the paid workday or grow into management positions within Stroopies. Ultimately, it’s sharing what Jennie calls lots of “Stroopie love” both inside and outside the company walls.

Jennie, a mom of four herself, knows that the needs of resettled refugee women are significant. For example, the company maintains a list of women who desire to be part of the Stroopies, Inc., team. Therefore, the Groffs and their employees are always looking for creative ways to expand so more opportunities are available for these women and their families.

One of these creative solutions involves a delicious take that’s a bit “on the edge.” Stroopie Crumble Mix Gift Jars check multiple boxes in the benefits category. “At Stroopies,” the product page reads, “we try really hard to not let things go to waste. When we make our delicious Stroopie cookies, there are crumbs and edge pieces that are created. With the goal of creating more jobs for resettled refugee women (because THAT is why we exist), we are always on the hunt for ways to make more great products.” Several flavors are topped with various treats so customers can enjoy the crumbles like trail mix.

Stroopies and the Lancaster Sweet Shoppe have also branched out by serving and selling coffee. Ethically sourced from Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Colombia and Peru, the coffee is packaged as whole beans or in grinds from fine to coarse. Likewise, Stroopie flavors have expanded as well to include everything from gluten-free to those dipped in locally made Wilbur chocolate. Some are even in different shapes and are customizable for events.

Even the edges of a cookie that would normally go unused are seeds of ideas planted for good.

“What are the seeds we already have in our hands?” Jennie asked the LBC during the chapel gathering. “What does it look like when every single area of your life is worship to Jesus? He is asking us for a willing heart.

“I feel so humbled to be able to see how this seed has grown,” she added. “If this can happen with the idea of a cookie, it can work with whatever is offered to God in worship.”

Since the company’s inception 16 years ago, many chapters of the Stroopies story have been written—with God’s hand a part of it all. One of those chapters involves LBC alumna Emerson Higley (’24), who shared a Q&A with her alma mater about how she became part of the Stroopies team after graduation.

The Stroopies team, with resettled refugee women at its core, makes approximately 12,000 Stroopies per week.

Q: How did you become connected to Stroopies for your new role?

A: “During the final weeks of classes, I still did not have a job lined up post-graduation. I knew that I wanted to do something different with my business degree—something where I could help others around me—but I had not found anything at that point. During an LBC prayer retreat, another LBC student told me about the job opening and that they thought I might be interested. I was! After that, I was put in contact with the owners.”

Q: What drew you to the mission and vision of Stroopies?

A: “Stroopies at its core exists to provide jobs for resettled refugee women. Jonathon and Jennie Groff have a heart for these women and creating meaningful employment for them. I was drawn to the selfless nature and mission of the company, reminding me of Matthew 25:35, which says, ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in.’”

Q: As a Business Administration major, how did your education at LBC prepare you?

A: “One course that comes to mind from the Business Administration Department that has prepared me for this specific job is the International Business course. In that course, we learned about how in some ways the culture we come from affects the way we perceive or value aspects of life (time, authority/rules, friends/family, etc.). In that course, students learned about interacting with businesspeople from different cultures and how to navigate the differences. With managing women from many different backgrounds, I am able to better communicate to them by learning where they place value.”

Emerson Higley (’24), back of table in headband, joined the Stroopies team after her LBC graduation with a Business Administration degree.

Q: How did LBC’s biblical integration help you “proclaim Christ and serve Him in the Church and society” in this new position?

A: “Each day, I have an opportunity to serve those around me in my workplace. Sometimes I get to help with practical needs, like guiding them with a new task at work or filling in for English class on a random day. But I also have the privilege to work alongside these strong women and lend an ear on their harder days. LBC has helped me gain head knowledge about the Bible and Christ, which I am able to use in conversations to minister to their unique needs.”

Q: What’s your favorite way to enjoy a Stroopie? 🙂

A: “My favorite way to enjoy a Stroopie is fresh off the press with an iced coffee from the Lancaster Sweet Shoppe.”

Q: What else can you share about the Stroopies-LBC connection?

A: “We would love to see more Lancaster Bible College students and alumni over at the Lancaster Sweet Shoppe! Stop in and enjoy a Stroopie—you will not regret it!”