Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Henley.
Hi Amy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
The Babcia’s Corner story began in the late 1920’s with our Babcia, Mary Karbowneczk’s immigration from Poland to the United States. She brought with her many wonderful traditions, including our amazing pierogi recipe.
When Covid-19 hit in 2020, Zack Henley and his mother, Amy Henley, noticed that there was a serious lack of choices in food that was easy to make for the whole family to sit down and enjoy. For our family, pierogi was just such a meal. They were easily frozen and cooked up whenever a quick wholesome meal was desired. Eaten at any time of day, they provided the perfect solution!
Zack made the suggestion to start a pierogi business. It was an idea that he had held onto for almost a decade. The pandemic hitting gave the family time to talk about how to bring this idea into fruition. In the spring of 2021, Zack and Amy began the journey towards making the talked about plans a reality. By the end of the summer of 2021, Babcia’s Amazing Pierogi was born!
We, as a family from grandparents to grandchildren, quickly got to work, honing three signature flavors: Farmer’s Cheese, Sauerkraut and Mushroom, and Potato and Cheddar. We contacted local farms around the Traverse City area to ensure that the ingredients were the best in every way. Cream Cup Dariy in Bear Lake and Kitchen Farms in Mancelona became staples as pierogi ingredients. The farm markets that we have attended gave us the opportunity to expand that list to Great Lakes Garlic and other farms in the area for a wider variety of pierogi.
In the last two years, we have grown, offering our amazing pierogi in several locations. With the opening of our own store, Babcia’s Corner, we are doing our part to try to give the Grand Traverse area’s Polish Community the market they deserve.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The biggest challenge is not growing too fast and staying true to why we put our store together to begin with. We have been very lucky and grateful for our excitement and the support from our community in building a company that has come to mean so much for so many.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Babcia’s Corner?
We are a Polish Market, looking to supply our own and our neighboring communities with our delicious Polish and Eastern European goods and groceries that you can’t find anywhere in Northern Michigan.
Our Pierogi are our pride and joy! With a recipe that has been handed down for five generations, we believe in making our Pierogi readily available and easy to make at home to bring the home back to home-cooking and bring people together. From our family’s kitchen to your table!
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Between the amazing waters to the beautiful forests. It really is one of the best places on earth.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bapgoodness.com/
- Instagram: @bapgoodness21
- Facebook: Babcia’s Amazing Pierogi
