Last month, Seward Co-op announced the return of the self-serve salad and hot bars. Our deli prepared foods are an important part of how we invest in our communities. As a co-op, we strive to keep resources in our communities, and that means we source local, organic ingredients from Community Foods producers whenever possible. We also employ people who live in the communities we exist to serve. Last year, over 62% of co-op staff lived within a mile and half of our stores.

Recently, a few members of our Friendship store kitchen staff shared what they like about working at Seward Co-op.

Mamie Girma (she/her) is a cook who’s contributed to our deli kitchens on and off for the last 12 years. She values the environment, the level of communication she has with management, and the flexibility the co-op affords her as a parent. She has prepared so many of our deli dishes in Seward Co-op kitchens and enjoys eating all of them, except the ones with pork.

Dave Anderson (he/him) is a kitchen shift lead, and he’s been working at Seward Co-op for the last five years. Dave also appreciates the flexibility offered by the co-op and enjoys the community of people he works with. His favorite dishes to make are from the Ethiopian-themed menu, and his favorite dish from the hot bar is the flavorful Cajun-seasoned chicken

CJ Joyce (he/him) has been a cook in the deli for the last four years. He appreciates the time spent with nice people during the working day and appreciates the benefits Seward Co-op offers. He also enjoys preparing our Ethiopian-themed menu and his favorite dish from the hot bar is the coconut curry vegetables.

Every day dedicated kitchen staff prepare nutritious meals from scratch, with care. These wonderful staff members work behind the scenes at both the Franklin and Friendship stores and are the unsung heroes of helping to keep our community fed. Purchases from the salad and hot bars, make the work of Seward Co-op to sustain a healthy community possible. Thank you for your continued support!

To learn what our kitchen staff are cooking up for you today, check out our daily menu. If you’re interested in joining our team, please take a look at our careers page, Seward Co-op is hiring!