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An interview with Douglas Olinger, our Café Sunflower Assistant Manager. Douglas has been with us for 18 months, since September 2016. He is a graduate of the Sunflower Bakery Pastry Arts Employment Training Program.
What brought you to Sunflower?
I have always liked baking. I finished college where I majored in physics and I did a brief stint in a physics lab. I decided it was not for me. My mother saw an ad for the Pastry Arts training program on a listserve and showed it to me. I looked at the ad and applied for the program. I liked the Pastry Arts Program but it was intense with very little downtime.
How did you end up working at Café Sunflower?
The Pastry Arts program had a rotation at Café Sunflower and I really enjoyed it. I liked the more relaxed pace of the Café and thought it was fun putting out pastries and putting out drinks.
What is your favorite part of working at the Café?
My favorite part of working at the Café is taking stock each morning of how much we have in front and how much we have in the fridge so I can tell Joey what to order.
What is your least favorite part of working at the Café ?
Having to make several drinks with different milks because you have to wash them out between uses .
What is the hardest part about your job?
It can be tough to manage all the different things when you are in a rush. People have to repeat orders and it can get backed up sometimes especially during the holidays.
What do you like to do when you are not at the Café? Favorite book or movie?
Science fiction books mostly, video games and legos. Timothy Zahn is my favorite author.
If you could change one thing at the Café, what would it be?
Maybe get a bigger space because sometimes it gets cramped in the back.
