The most surprising aspect of running La Vita Dolce over the past 22 months has been how much the staff here have come to mean to me and how often they impress me. I learn from them every day and together we have created a culture at La Vita Dolce that I’m immensely proud of.
Their “job” is to work toward our higher purpose. Specifically, they are the ones who welcome everyone to treat themselves and feel good. And they implement La Vita Dolce’s values as they do.
We keep a Barista Book behind the counter in which our staff share about something special they did during their shift that really demonstrated our purpose and values — so they’re sharing with each other. I also get feedback from customers about our staff. Now we’ve decided to “complete the circle” by sharing with you — our customers and the community — about our staff.
Each week we’ll choose a Crew Member of the Week. This person will have done something outstanding — what we’re calling the “Dolce Moment of the Week.” We’ll share with you who we’ve chosen, a little bit about them (our crew is made up of absurdly interesting and multi-talented people), and they’ll get to pick a gelato flavor to be made by us that week. We’re leaving that wide open — so we could end up with anything from Chili Pepper Gelato to Double Chocolate Fudge Brownie Gelato.
As we start this weekly recognition and sharing, Erin (our Manager) and I are asking for your input. If you had a great experience with one of our baristas — or witnessed one of them do something particularly thoughtful, caring, welcoming or otherwise exceptional — please let us know! You can email us at lavitadolcecafe@gmail.com or message us/post on Facebook. And maybe that barista will be our next Crew Member of the Week.
Thanks for your help! And stay tuned for a new and probably pretty unique gelato flavor each week!