From Day One, Jennifer Kaye knew she eventually needed to add employees with restaurant and food service experience to her business. About a Bite Bakery, launched in 2011 as an online baked goods company run out of a warehouse in Gold River, Jennifer was introduced to Saint John’s in 2012 when a friend invited her to lunch at Plates Café. That day marked the beginning of a beautiful partnership.
“I was intrigued by Saint John’s mission, and I initially became involved as a donor,” comments Jennifer. “Then we were asked to provide desserts for one of the monthly Guest Chef Dinners, which turned out to be a very positive experience, as it gave me the opportunity to get to know some of Saint John’s clients.”
As her business grew and it was time to hire an assistant manager, Jennifer realized that Saint John’s was the perfect place to find such a candidate.
“Stepphanie has a great attitude, she had trained at Plates Café and was working at Plates2Go (now Plates MidTown) at the time, so she brought just the right experience to the team,” adds Jennifer. “With her expertise, we had a successful launch opening the new retail storefront on K Street.”
“all who have hired Saint John’s program graduates are very happy with their decision, whether they’re in the restaurant business or some other enterprise. Life skills are important no matter what the job is. It’s a win-win.”
When bakers were needed to keep up with the increasing customer demand, Jennifer again turned to Saint John’s and hired Veronica, also a graduate of Saint John’s Employment Training Program.
“Veronica is a pleasure to work with,” says Jennifer. “You can teach someone job skills, but you can’t teach an attitude. She is our number one cheerleader!”
For Jennifer, partnering with Saint John’s has been very cathartic. She loves what they do, and wants to continue to support the program in any way that she can. An added bonus is that it allows her employees to give back to the program that saved them – in essence, bringing them full-circle. When it’s time for the next hire, Saint John’s will be her first stop. In fact, she encourages other local businesses to do the same.
“I’ve met a lot of business owners at the Guest Chef Dinners, and all who have hired Saint John’s program graduates are very happy with their decision, whether they’re in the restaurant business or some other enterprise. Life skills are important no matter what the job is. It’s a win-win.”
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