Meet the Belltown Café General Manager

ABOUT GRETCHEN

Baking and people are twin passions of Gretchen’s, which makes it no surprise that she found Macrina Bakery. After working in two bakeries in the Pike Place Market for a few years, she applied at Macrina Bakery, hoping to advance her career. Three years later, after working her way up to shift lead, then Assistant Manager, she took over the leadership role.

“I really care about the staff and like helping guide them,” Gretchen says. “And I enjoy seeing our regular customers every day. Working at The Confectional and Three Girls Bakery in the market was excellent training for what I do at Macrina. I enjoyed baking from the get-go, and I like the customer interaction in the front of the house.

Gretchen’s passion for baking doesn’t stay at work. She lives with her sister and her best friend, a pastry chef. “We bake all the time at home,” she says.

When Gretchen is not baking or working, you'll often find her reading a book or writing stories of her own.

Hometown: Missoula, MT

First Job: Face Painter

Alternate Universe Job: Novelist

Pastry You Couldn’t Live Without: Dill Scone

Dessert Specialty: Cheesecake

Weekend Getaway: Anywhere I can swim

Binge Food: Teriyaki

Dream Vacation: Scotland or a secluded island

Favorite Seattle Restaurant: Wann Izakaya

Seattle’s Best Kept Secret: Swimming at the tip of Seward Park

Food You Despise: Barley

Guilty Pleasure: Skyrim

Last Book You Enjoyed: “Fire & Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones

What You Listen to Now: Townes Van Zandt, Thin Lizzy, and Nina Simone

Philosophy for Living: “Be truthful, gentle, and fearless” -Gandhi