Sales are up across the board at DC Central Kitchen cafes—by a total of 45% in the last quarter! Our revamped menu with all-day breakfast offerings is bringing in new customers and inspiring existing ones to come back again and again. A key driver? New products created and refined by long-time DC Central Kitchen Cafe employees. Some of these new top sellers are our made-to-order smoothies and the DCCK Griddle.
The DCCK Griddle—also known as ‘The Egger’ in honor of our founder Robert Egger—was proposed and then perfected by Cafe Managers Angela and Antonio. As Angela and Antonio know, the more in-house items we develop and sell, the more opportunities we have to employ our culinary students and drive revenue to our critical hunger relief and training programs.
Celebrating 10 years working at DC Central Kitchen this year, Angela has moved from our Healthy School Foods team to helping open our first cafe at THEARC in 2019 to our home at the Klein Center in 2023. She’s risen steadily through our organization and currently manages the Klein Center cafe along with Antonio. Like a lot of people that come to the Kitchen, Angela didn’t necessarily see herself working around food.
“When I was trying to figure out what I was going to do, what I wanted to do. [At first,] I didn’t think cooking was in my path,” says Angela. “But I love it.”
Angela’s role as a manager allows her to spend time interacting with customers as well as working throughout the Kitchen. Speaking with nearly everyone, she’s uniquely qualified to suggest and implement new offerings.
“Leaders on our Cafe team like Angela are in constant communication with our guests to understand what they’re loving in our Cafes and what they would like to see more of,” says Sarah Frimpong, DC Central Kitchen’s Director of Cafes & Retail Sales. “They then bring that feedback to our wider team and turn it into real products on shelves. The results speak for themself.”
Open lines of communication between the cafe staff and management has led to some of our best selling products. “I like to bring everything to [Sarah],” says Angela. “I like to get a different opinion on things. We talk about how I would think new items would work. I was scared to present it, but it’s working.” The DCCK Griddle is currently one of the highest selling products and is going to be added to our permanent all-day breakfast menu.
When Angela isn’t running around the Klein Center, she’s running an average of 8 to 10 miles a day. The boxer is currently training, hitting mitts and doing calisthenics. The consistent exercise helps keep her calm. “I helps me think strategically. I have to plan things. I can’t go in with just a hot head [because] sometimes I can get like, kind of angry. I’m not mad, I’m just dealing with just everyday life. And I think boxing kind of taught me how to stimulate my brain and taught me when to react [differently].”
The sporting life is catching on with Angela’s fellow cafe staff members too. “I’ve actually recommended boxing to some co-workers, and they want to get in there with me. I’m going to start training them, working with some mitts, I already got them in the car.”
As DC Central Kitchen has grown over the last decade, so has Angela, as she knows how hard work pays off in the ring and behind the register. She’s hoping that growth continues. “I would like to see myself in another, higher position. I want to see where my potential could get me. Antonio and I work well together and brainstorm a lot of things. Hopefully we can run whatever cafes DC Central Kitchen expands into from a higher position. That’s my goal.” With each new sale and winning menu concept, Angela is creating opportunities for herself and the DCCK students and alumni she mentors each day.
