This is Bianca. She Owns the Place.
I came to the U.S. as a foreign exchange student in 1988. Back then, I couldn’t have dreamed that I’d be the owner and President of The Dutch Waffle Company 31 years later. But that’s what happened, and this is our story.
A Suitcase Full of Stroopwafels
I was close with both of my host families when I studied here in the U.S. After I returned to the Netherlands, we stayed in touch, and I brought stroopwafels with me for each visit.
I met my husband Patrick in a restaurant in 1993. It didn’t take long to fall in love with his humor and heart. I took him to the U.S. to meet my host families in 1995.
Of course, I brought two suitcases with me - one filled with personal belongings and the other with Stroopwafels.
Dutch Waffle Company is a Certified Woman Owned Business. WBENC and WeConnect worked together to help Dutch Waffle Company get certified. We are the first US based business non US owned that received this certification.
Enter Patrick, Vice President of Sales
Saying “I Do,” to a New Dream
Patrick and I married in 1998, and both of my host families attended the wedding in the Netherlands. At that time, one of my host dads Jim Hartman advised us to start selling Stroopwafels in the USA. Patrick and I took his advice, bought a waffle baking iron, and got trained at a famous Stroopwafel factory.
By the end of 1999 we completed a 10-week market research project to see if the United States was ready for Stroopwafels. We found many businesses eager to work with us. The Dutch Waffle Company was born and registered in Elkhart, Indiana by August, 1999.
A Leap of Faith
Our new dream almost died in the legal process. Moving to the USA wasn’t easy. It took time, money, and even lawyers to help get the right documents and VISAs in place.
Patrick and I put our still-living dream of selling Stroopwafels in the U.S. in prayer. After that, all the necessary doors opened and the process started moving forward again. Twenty years after completing our initial market research, things were finally looking up.
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Our Home in the Netherlands
This is the home we left behind. It's where we built our family, raised our children, and ate plenty of stroopwafels and other Dutch Treats.
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The Car Crash
After 19 years of trying, we finally got settled in the U.S. We took a vacation in Florida to celebrate, but were hit head on by a 17 year old. This set us back, but we kept going.
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Missing Our Family
We're blessed to have one of our daughters in the U.S.! But we do miss our other family and friends in the Netherlands, and are happy when they come to visit. (Patrick loves when guests from home bring him Dutch Black Licorice - which tastes very different!
A Dream Fulfilled
In July 2019, we got a “go” from the U.S. Consulate. We sold our house, boarded a plane, and started selling stroopwafels soon after. Today, The Dutch Waffle Company sells products in thousands of stores nationwide.
For me, Stroopwafels are a taste of home. They’re an easy treat to savor, to share, and to take on-the-go. I’m just as excited to share Stroopwafels with friends and family now as I was back in the 90s, but now, I don’t have to bring them over in a suitcase. I get to sell Stroopwafels made fresh in North America, so you get to enjoy the treat as it was meant to taste.
We deliver the freshest Dutch Waffle Company Stroopwafels to coffee shops, bakeries, supermarkets, gift shops - and right to your doorstep.
We hope you taste our passion with every bite.
Kind regards,
Bianca & Patrick
Dutch Waffle Company Featured on Shop Local Network
In the News
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ABC News Channel 57
Read storyLocal couple’s stroopwafel company is their version of the ’American Dream’
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South Bend Tribune
Read storyDining A La King: Northern Indiana benefiting from a dream that never waffled.
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The Lakes Magazine
Roundly Successful - Success Is Indeed Sweet for Dutch Waffle Company.
