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Former owners of the landmark Hotel Turkey have made their way onto the shelves of nearly 1,000 groceries with their pancake mixture
MILLIGAN COLLEGE, TN (Feb. 24, 2004) — It’s National Pancake Week and business owners Scott and Jane Johnson of West Texas will be on the Milligan campus this week to share their successes in producing and marketing a unique pancake product – sweet potato pancakes.
Not only are the Johnsons talking with students about advertising, corporate strategy and small business management, they are also presenting a testimony about their vocational journey as Christians as part of Milligan’s Senior Forum on Christ and Culture.
“The forum is an extension of the Christ and Culture capstone course required for all seniors at Milligan,” said Beth Anderson, director of Milligan’s Institute for Servant Leadership. “It helps students examine their faith perspectives in light of the challenges of modern social expectations and cultural trends.”
The Johnsons’ special “Jane’s Sweet Potato Pancake Mix” has been featured in Southern Living and on network news shows and daily newspapers throughout the U.S. In 2000, the special mix became the first baking product in history to be awarded the HeartSmart seal by the American Heart Association.
And it all started over the breakfast table. Several years ago while looking for something different to serve for breakfast at the landmark Hotel Turkey in Turkey, Texas, Jane Johnson invented the recipe for sweet potato pancake mix. The resulting pancakes became a hit and Johnson soon found herself cooking huge batches just to keep up with demand.
When they discovered dehydrated sweet potato flakes made by Bruce Foods, the Johnsons were able to formulate, bag, and distribute the mix. They now travel the country promoting their invention. Their pancake and waffle mix is now available at Bi-Lo, Ingles, Food Lion and Albertson stores.
“In a giant-eat-giant world where Aunt Jemima spends millions to out-muscle Mrs. Butterworth, the Johnsons have sweet-talked their specialty mix into nearly 800 grocery stores, armed with little more than West Texas gumption and a whole lot of prayer,” writes Cheryl Hall of the Dallas Morning News.
Prayer and faith have remained two constants in the Johnsons’ business ventures. In the midst of business successes, they have also experienced personal tragedies. Scott was partially paralyzed for six months following a stroke that doctors say was stress-induced. Then their 25-year-old son was struck with 5,000 volts of electricity while hanging power lines in Louisiana and underwent 23 operations in four months. And of course there were the daily struggles of owning and operating a business.
The Johnsons indeed have a fascinating testimony about their vocational journey. It is a testimony that Anderson hopes will fuel discussions among Milligan students about how Christians can shape the culture through their vocations.
“Through the forums, we’re hosting a variety of speakers like the Johnsons to provide testimonials about their vocational journeys,” said Anderson. “Our hope is that it provides an opportunity for our students to explore their understanding of God’s Kingdom and their role in it.”
The Johnsons spoke today in a corporate strategy class. On Wednesday, they will have lunch with students in the cafeteria and then speak in a 2:30 advertising class. On Thursday, they will speak at a 3:40 small business management class and then lead an evening discussion on “It’s My Call!” at the Coffee Company in Elizabethton.
For more information about the Johnsons or Milligan’s Senior Forum on Christ and Culture, please call the Institute for Servant Leadership at 423.461.8316.