Groton bakery emerges from Casper’s Kitchen

From what began as a childhood pastime, Lynsey Haner started her own bakery business in September 2019 — Lynsey’s Sweet Treats — operating out of Casper’s Kitchen (aka Casper’s Diner) at 118 Main St. The demand for Haner’s delectable treats has steadily increased ever since.

The owner of Casper’s, Kevin Griffin, is Haner’s stepdad, and when long-time baker Nancy McGowan moved away from Groton in 2019, Griffin needed someone to fill that gap. Casper’s has a very loyal clientele who are accustomed to finishing their meals with something sweet, homemade and just as high-quality as the rest of the food, so Griffin knew he needed to act quickly.

As it happened, Haner was a natural fit for the position because she had been baking with her grandmother, Mary Russell, all through her childhood and had already become the full-time cake decorator at Tops in Cortland prior to McGowan’s departure, so her skill set was a perfect fit.

“My inspiration has always been my grandma,” Haner said. “We would bake everything together from Christmas cookies for family parties to pies, muffins and everything in between. There were these mini pecan pies that were my absolute favorite! Anyway, baking with my grandma — that’s where it all started.”

Haner attended Groton Central School through the seventh grade but then transferred to New Roots Charter School in Ithaca because her best friend at the time, Nikiah Hakes, planned to go there. Haner felt compelled to join her because she was the only close friend she had at the time.

“I was interested in science,” Haner said. “But my favorite class down there was a crafting class where we learned crocheting, sewing and painting.”

Following her graduation in 2016, Haner attended SUNY Brockport to study psychology but only completed one semester. She thought at the time that she would like to help children as a CPS worker or something similar.

“The style of teaching and the class content was not at all what I expected,” Haner said. “There was a lot of medical background included, and that was a hard concept for me to grasp.”

Haner returned home to Groton and almost immediately stepped into a position as a bakery associate at Tops. After two years there, a cake decorator position opened up, and she gladly took it.

“They brought in a trainer from Buffalo, and I had two weeks of training from her,” Haner said. “After that, I was their full-time decorator for the next year before I was needed to bake at Casper’s when Nancy left.”

Even while working at Tops, Haner worked as a waitress for her stepdad at Casper’s two days a week, and her mom, Bobbie Jo Haner, was also an integral member of Casper’s staff.

Lynsey described how the family conversations they had while working together often centered on brainstorming ways that she could branch out to start a business of her own.

Lynsey’s Sweet Treats began with Lynsey making specialty cakes, but it soon evolved into other baked goods such as Danish pastries, donuts, mini parfaits, cocoa bombs, chocolate-covered strawberries, gluten-free baked goods and more — all while doing all the baking for Casper’s on a daily basis, as well as numerous catering jobs for Casper’s.

This past year, Casper’s donated holiday-themed cookies for the annual Trunk or Treat in October and the Christmas tree-lighting in December in the village, and Lynsey baked them all! She is also often called upon to provide doughnuts and treats for the Groton Fire Department.

“It can get a little overwhelming sometimes because I am baking and waitressing six days a week at Casper’s and then baking after hours for my own business, but I have a lot of perseverance,” Lynsey said. “There’s an old saying, ‘You never work a day in your life if you enjoy what you’re doing,’ and I definitely do enjoy it!”

Lynsey’s boyfriend, Randy Thayer, works for his father, Robert Thayer, at Triple R Contracting by day, but Lynsey is very grateful for all the help Randy gives her to package her baked goods and carry her supplies in for her.

In whatever spare time she finds, Lynsey enjoys petting her cat, Nova, and dogs, Max and Marley, and playing Animal Crossing on her Nintendo Switch for relaxation. But even when playing that game, there is baking involved!

To view albums of Lynsey’s Sweet Treats’ offerings, visit tinyurl.com/yb2quqvo. To get in touch with Lynsey, email her at lmhaner207@gmail.com or call her at (607) 591-4681 or (607) 220-8347 (Casper’s Kitchen).

Griffin is clearly very proud of Lynsey and all she has accomplished and very glad to have her and Bobbie Jo so committed to their family business.

Casper’s is open from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily Tuesday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday.

But “Groton on the Inside” now brings you an exclusive announcement: Beginning on March 20, which is the first day of spring, Casper’s will feature its After-Church Special every third Sunday of the month and will remain open until 3 p.m. those days. There will be special menu offerings, and you will be able to find them here in future editions.

Groton on the Inside appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Submit story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com or text or call Linda at (607) 227-4922.

In brief:

Register for youth basketball

Groton Recreation’s first- and second-grade basketball skills program will be held every Wednesday and Saturday from March 2 through 26. Fee is $15 per child.

The Wednesday schedule is 5 to 5:45 p.m. for first grade and 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. for second grade. Saturdays are 10 to 10:50 a.m. for first grade and 11 to 11:50 a.m. for second grade. All sessions will be held in the middle school gym, 400 Peru Rd.

Sessions are designed to introduce the game of basketball to young players. Each session will be based on basic skills and fun drills/games. This is not a competitive play program. It is meant to be fun and teach skills. Registration closes at 11:59 p.m. Feb. 25. Visit tinyurl.com/ydz7cmug.

Red Cross babysitting course

The Red Cross babysitting course will be held March 26 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Groton Village Office, 143 E. Cortland St. Class maximum is 12 students. Fee is $69 each and includes a participant manual, emergency reference guide and DVD.

This training class is taught by a certified American Red Cross instructor and is recommended for youth ages 11 to 15. Students should bring their own lunch. Due to the limited number of spaces in class, refunds will not be available once a participant is registered. Registration is first come, first served at tshq.bluesombrero.com/grotonrecreation.

Youth baseball and softball

Registration is now open for the 2022 spring Groton youth baseball/softball season. Please register early to help better plan for the upcoming season. Registration will close March 31. Late registrations will not be accepted this year due to tight league roster and shirt order deadlines.

Division breakdowns: T-Ball, co-ed, grades UPK and kindergarten; Rookie Baseball, co-ed, first and second grades, Minors, boys, third and fourth grades; Majors, boys, fifth and sixth grades; 10U Softball, girls, third and fourth grades; 12U Softball, girls, fifth and sixth grades. Both 10U and 12U divisions will play in the Cathy Stage league, which will have both home and away games.

Registration is $40 per player and must be completed online at tinyurl.com/y75frx3t. For more information, email grotonyouthbaseball@gmail.com.