Meet the Aloha Café General Manager

About Shalice

Shalice Atlantic grew up in San Diego, working at the library with her dad through high school before landing her first official job at 18: doggie daycare attendant. College took her north to the redwoods, where she loved the idea of a community woven into nature but found she needed a lot more people around. Seattle was a perfect compromise.

She arrived in 2019 with a plan. “I knew I wanted to move to Seattle and thought, ‘What’s the best job to have in Seattle? Barista!’” Macrina was the first place she interviewed. She started as a crew member at the Aloha café, worked her way up to lead, transferred to McGraw, and moved to Maple Leaf, where she became assistant manager. Seven years later, she’s back at Aloha as general manager, right where she started.

“I have always loved the general atmosphere of this café. The customers range from very sophisticated to super quirky, and it’s nice to get to know the regulars. They’re constantly teaching me new things.” Commuters are rare here. It’s mostly families and the kids from St. Joseph’s and Holy Names clearing out the grilled cheese and Olivia’s Chocolate Chip Cookies. The crew, she adds, is hardworking, and its senior members are quick to tell her when something needs adjusting.

Her favorite thing about Macrina is how the company responds to feedback from employees and customers. “We really do embody our mission of building community through the joy of artisan baking.” Some of her deepest friendships are with coworkers and customers, and she even met her husband through Macrina. She recently had two baby boys back to back and admits that switching out of mom mode and into GM mode can be a challenge. “Although a little bit of gentle parenting is still involved in my job.”

The job comes with plenty of admin work and numbers to track, but the most important part, she says, is cultivating a positive environment. “The thing I’m proudest of is my ability to keep my rose-colored glasses on in the face of adversity and keep the people around me happy.” She’s a self-described Energizer Bunny, always floating from station to station. Her crew would call her energetic and lively. She can be stern when needed, but they know she's as attentive to them as to the customers.

Hometown: San Diego, CA

First Job: Doggie Daycare Attendant

Alternate Universe Job: Popstar/Entertainer

Pastry You Couldn’t Live Without: Budapest Coffee Cake. I ate one every day of both of my pregnancies!

Weekend Getaway: Kalaloch or Salt Creek with my family. The perfect place to unplug for a few days.

Binge Food: Carne asada fries, at least once a week. I’m a SoCal girl, born and bred.

Dream Vacation: Capri, Italy. I went in 2016 and have been dreaming about returning ever since.

Favorite Seattle Restaurant: Aliberto’s Jr.

Food You Despise: Seafood

Guilty Pleasure: Staying up ‘til the early morning binge-reading

What You Listen to Now: My Spotify is entirely overrun with music for toddlers. I have a 2-year-old. In my defense, some of the songs are really catchy. When I’m listening for myself, it’s R&B, always.

Favorite Movies: The Jurassic World series