A Baker's Story

Quietly baking our delicious chocolate chip cookies or making meals for Cuisine for Healing in the back of Café 2 you will find our beloved and longest employee, David Dodson. He has been with the Z’s family for three and a half years now and we are so proud of the personal accomplishments he has achieved while working here.

David has held multiple jobs within the food service industry in the past. His first job he ever had he worked at Six Flags Over Texas making anything from fried fish to hamburgers. Needless to say this wasn’t the job that made him fall in love with cooking, but he did love riding all of the rides for free! It was when he was working at Harvey Hotels as a baker that he realized his love for cooking and baking. He learned to bake Danishes, tortes, and a variety of other baked goods and loved it.

With David’s extensive past in the food service industry the Samaritan House workers recommended that he work at a place called Z’s Café and Catering that was just about to open. He was reluctant at first and wasn’t sure if he could hold down a steady job. About a month after the grand opening though David began working at Z’s Café and realized fast from all of the encouragement Janet and Carlo gave him that it was going to work out great.

David states, “I cannot imagine working anywhere else now. They work with me and give me encouragement that keeps me going and feeling good about myself.” David’s personality has completely changed while he has been at Z’s Café. He remembers when he first started working here he was miserable, introverted, and felt like he had no purpose in life. Now he is happy, and has a reason to get up and hold his head up high.

He credits Z’s Café for many of his personal changes and the spring in his step. He now is out of the Samaritan House, living in his own place and is hoping to buy his own car soon. At home he loves to search for new recipes to make for his friends or to bring in for Janet to try. Baking is truly his passion and he has future plans of going to school to be professionally trained as a baker.

We are beyond proud of David and are thrilled to have helped him turn his life around to become happy and healthy again. We look forward to many more great years of working with David!

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4 Comments

  • Teacy Bernardy

    August 10, 2012 1:39 pm

    What a great tribute to a man who has found his niche. Thanks Janet and Carlo for helping him find his way. You should be proud of him and of yourselves as well.
    Teacy Bernardy

  • Vicki Holland

    August 10, 2012 2:22 pm

    such a wonderful tribute of the good janet and carlo do! way to go, david!!!

  • Carlo

    August 10, 2012 5:28 pm

    Thanks for the feedback! David has indeed been a huge success story for Z's Cafe. from boxed lunches to incredible fondant and frosted cakes, he's extremely talented.

  • Chef Tom

    August 13, 2012 7:30 am

    What a great article on a great man. I have had the pleasure of working with "Cambro" on several occasions and Z's is lucky to have him on board.