We're continuing our
series of interviews that bring you inside the mill to meet our fantastic employee-owners. Next up is Rayetta Weber, who's worked at our
Whole Grain Store & Restaurant for several years, starting as a dishwasher and now as a cashier and server. This longtime resident of Clackamas County has seen some major changes to Bob's Red Mill and the area, and even does a bit of "farm" work in her spare time. Read on to learn all about Rayetta!
Bob's Red Mill: How long have you worked at Bob’s Red Mill?
Rayetta Weber: Seven years.
BRM: What were you doing before?
RW: I worked for the Clackamas School District for 14 years as an assistant manager at a base kitchen, where we served five other schools. We’d ship out the food and all the freight.
BRM: How did you come to work at Bob’s Red Mill?
RW: They cut my hours at the school district, so I was looking for something that could give me extra hours, like on Saturday. I scanned Craigslist and found a dishwasher position. And then I started liking it here!
In fact, when the building was being built, I passed it every day and thought, “That’d be a great place to work.” Anyway, Kasie [Rapp, Kitchen/Bakery Manager] interviewed me and I happened to mention to her, I said, “You know, if a full-time position comes up, could you keep me in mind?” And here I am, seven years later!
BRM: What skills did you bring that have helped you the most at Bob’s Red Mill?
RW: I think the hospitality, I like interacting with the customers and getting to meet new customers, and just past experience of managing, I brought that with me. I think it really paid off.
BRM: Do you think there are any new skills you’ve developed since working at Bob’s?
RW: Oh yeah, learning the POS system. That’s an ongoing thing. It’s challenging, but I like something challenging.
BRM: What do you think is the biggest change you’ve seen in the past seven years?
RW: When I started seven years ago it was a smaller kitchen, it was a “get-to-know-your-neighbor” kind of situation. They expanded the kitchen, and during that time we worked out of the test kitchen here. It was a very limited menu! They’ve also eliminated some of the shelving units here to make it more customer friendly, better flow.
BRM: What do you like about working at Bob’s?
RW: Well, I really look forward to meeting the customers. We’ve got some regulars who come in every day, and they just become like family. There are some customers who come in, it’s their first experience. They say, “You know, it’s our first time here,” and I say, “Why did it take you so long to get here?” “Well, we’re from New York.” Well, that would take you awhile to get here!
BRM: What do you like to do when you’re not working at Bob’s?
RW: I love working in my yard. I have half an acre, so it keeps me busy. For my other hobbies, I really love to bowl, and I love to fish.
BRM: What’s your favorite Bob’s Red Mill product?
RW: The
flaxseed. I use it every day in my cereal.
We want to thank Rayetta for being an excellent interview subject
and employee-owner! Next time you're at the
Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Store & Restaurant, make sure to say hello and tell her where you came from.
We're continuing our series of interviews that bring you inside the mill to meet our fantastic employee-owners. Next up is Rayetta Weber, who's worked at our Whole Grain Store & Restaurant for several years, starting as a dishwasher and now as a cashier and server. This longtime resident of Clackamas County has seen some major changes to Bob's Red Mill and the area, and even does a bit of "farm" work in her spare time. Read on to learn all about Rayetta!
Bob's Red Mill: How long have you worked at Bob’s Red Mill?
Rayetta Weber: Seven years.
BRM: What were you doing before?
RW: I worked for the Clackamas School District for 14 years as an assistant manager at a base kitchen, where we served five other schools. We’d ship out the food and all the freight.
BRM: How did you come to work at Bob’s Red Mill?
RW: They cut my hours at the school district, so I was looking for something that could give me extra hours, like on Saturday. I scanned Craigslist and found a dishwasher position. And then I started liking it here!
In fact, when the building was being built, I passed it every day and thought, “That’d be a great place to work.” Anyway, Kasie [Rapp, Kitchen/Bakery Manager] interviewed me and I happened to mention to her, I said, “You know, if a full-time position comes up, could you keep me in mind?” And here I am, seven years later!
BRM: What skills did you bring that have helped you the most at Bob’s Red Mill?
RW: I think the hospitality, I like interacting with the customers and getting to meet new customers, and just past experience of managing, I brought that with me. I think it really paid off.
BRM: Do you think there are any new skills you’ve developed since working at Bob’s?
RW: Oh yeah, learning the POS system. That’s an ongoing thing. It’s challenging, but I like something challenging.
BRM: What do you think is the biggest change you’ve seen in the past seven years?
RW: When I started seven years ago it was a smaller kitchen, it was a “get-to-know-your-neighbor” kind of situation. They expanded the kitchen, and during that time we worked out of the test kitchen here. It was a very limited menu! They’ve also eliminated some of the shelving units here to make it more customer friendly, better flow.
BRM: What do you like about working at Bob’s?
RW: Well, I really look forward to meeting the customers. We’ve got some regulars who come in every day, and they just become like family. There are some customers who come in, it’s their first experience. They say, “You know, it’s our first time here,” and I say, “Why did it take you so long to get here?” “Well, we’re from New York.” Well, that would take you awhile to get here!
BRM: What do you like to do when you’re not working at Bob’s?
RW: I love working in my yard. I have half an acre, so it keeps me busy. For my other hobbies, I really love to bowl, and I love to fish.
BRM: What’s your favorite Bob’s Red Mill product?
RW: The flaxseed. I use it every day in my cereal.
We want to thank Rayetta for being an excellent interview subject and employee-owner! Next time you're at the Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Store & Restaurant, make sure to say hello and tell her where you came from. 