Core Value Award Winner: Hard Working
Sure, Macrina is a bakery. We bake bread. But more than that, we’re a team of people passionate about food and community. Our employees, coming from all over the world, are drawn to Seattle for its culture, people, and natural beauty. While the allure of a job might be what initially brings them here, it’s the deep-seated values at Macrina that have kept employees like Leonardo Barrios around for many years — and that make Macrina a special place to work.
Leonardo began working at Macrina in 2003 as a delivery driver. There was the café and a burgeoning wholesale operation, all based in Belltown. Leonardo made all the deliveries in a small Astro van. He worked closely with founder Leslie Mackie and Macrina’s head baker, Phuong Bui. “It was a tight community,” Leonardo says.
In 2008, with business expanding, we opened our Sodo café and moved our wholesale bakery into the space behind the café. Scott France, now Macrina’s president, was just getting involved. For personal reasons, Leonardo stepped away from Macrina around that time. His bond with Macrina remained strong, and in 2016, interested in returning, he paid a visit to our new bakery in Kent. “The building was so big,” says Leonardo. “I was impressed. Scott saw me and was so happy to have me back. I felt very appreciated.”
Today, Leonardo is the primary driver on our busiest route. His day starts at midnight, meticulously organizing and double-checking orders, making sure that every coffee shop and grocery store on his list receives their delivery flawlessly. By eight in the morning, when most of the city is getting to work, Leonardo is ready to head home, having delivered bread and pastries to over 50 locations.
Originally from a family of cheesemakers in Chiapas, Mexico, Leonardo moved to Seattle in 1997 to live with his uncle. After arriving, he worked in a restaurant and took English classes at Seattle Central Community College, where he met Maria del Carmen, a young woman from Honduras. They married and have since built a life together in Seattle with their two children, now young adults. In addition, two brothers followed Leonardo to Seattle, and they see each other regularly. Leonardo also occasionally gets back to Chiapas to visit his family in Mexico.
“When I moved to Seattle, so far north of the Mexican border, I encountered so few other Spanish speakers,” says Leonardo. “I’d be on the bus and see another Latino and say hello, just to speak a little Spanish. Many languages are spoken at Macrina, and right away I felt like I belonged.”
“Leonardo is one of the most hard-working people I know,” says Fanny Alvarado, Macrina’s Wholesale Manager. “When he arrives, he sets a mood and tone with his enthusiasm and positive energy.”