Future Business Owner Gains Experience at Antigua

Rossell Cibrian-George, a former account executive at Ricoh, left corporate America to gain first hand knowledge of the food service industry.

While the Highland Park resident's new career, may be less lucrative, he's hoping it could pave the way for his dream of one day owning his own business. 

“I started working here because I wanted to learn how to make espresso drinks and I’ve never worked in a place like this. I was looking to the future and maybe having one, but also getting the experience as well,” Cibrian-George said. “I knew [working at Ricoh] wasn’t the career path I wanted to continue on, so I decided to get a totally different experience work wise."

Cibrian-George plans on opening a business similar to , which is how he ended up working at the bakery and café. He hasn’t developed a specific concept for his future business, but said it will most likely have something to do with coffee and possibly pastries.

The Highland Park resident, who graduated from Occidental College in 2005, works approximately 40 hours per week at the local eatery.

“It’s enough to get by and mainly pay my bills, that’s the most important part for me right now,” he said. “I don’t have too many of them. I do have loans, but not a lot.”

Cibrian-George received a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and is still undecided about which master’s degree program he will pursue.

During his employment at , Cibrian-George said he's gained practical knowledge across the food service spectrum. He can not only identify different types of coffee roasts and the ingredients to many pastries, he's also educated himself on state laws and regulations for employees in the food service industry.

The 29-year-old said he enjoys the fast paced environment at work, as well as the opportunity to provide customer service in an industry he’s never dealt with before.

“I like to interact with people so that’s one of the main things that have kept me here and keeps me motivated. Being able to help them get through the day with a drink or whatever they might need, like a quick conversation,” Cibrian-George said.

Simple things such as learning what a customer likes and how they consume their coffee, according to Cibrian-George, goes a long way in making a drink recommendation when he’s asked.

Besides whipping up assorted java drinks, other duties at the bakery and café include arranging bread in the display case, serving food to patrons, knocking out prep work in the back and washing dishes.

On his breaks, Cibrian-George enjoys the down time by reading his bible, grabbing a bite to eat or surfing the Internet on his iPad.

While there isn’t a set routine in making sure the job responsibilities are taken care of, the Oxy grad said if someone is making drinks he’ll step in and take orders. And when things are slow, he offers help wherever it’s needed.

Cibrian-George said, “That at the same time has helped me get an idea of what it takes to run a business.”