We are a CarbonFree Partner®! This means that we offset the carbon footprint for our selves, our business and each of our employees. While we reduce what we can, we offset what we can’t, allowing us to take action on global warming now.
We source locally whenever we can and much of our produce comes from Gregory's Produce. Paul Gregory is a local organic farmer in Silverdale, who we work with to provide you with the freshest in-season produce available. Paul comes in several times a week and picks up our food waste to use as compost on his farm. It is all a wonderful circle and we are working together to offer you more all the time. We also get produce from other small farmers in the area, and we use Duck Delivery in Sumner for what we cannot get locally. Duck is nationally recognized for their efforts towards sustainability and they have a lot of Washington produce to offer.
The bulk of our Dairy and eggs come from Puget Sound Dairy, a local distributor based in Bremerton. Dave ensures that our dairy products and eggs are Washington based and hormone and antibiotic free. Our goal is to move towards organics, although that is far more expensive and lies further out into the future.
Our house blend coffee comes from Personal Roast, right in our own back yard, on the canal. Paul and Dean are busy roasting their organic, fair-trade beans to our specifications, and giving back to the community through donations of both time and money. Our other drip coffees and espresso come from Caffe Umbria. They roast their beans in Seattle and we love using their organic blend, which is also a fair trade coffee. Caffe Umbria donates a portion of their sales to organizations that help support fair trade coffee farmers.
The buzz on our honey is that it is from Martello’s, just up the road in Seabeck. The Martello family has made friends with the local honeybees who are busy at work to sweeten your day. Bob travels around the world to teach those in need how to make a living through honey bees. People who have no other means of making a living learn how to harvest honey and keep bees. What an amazing gift the Martello's give!
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We feature sodas from Humming Bird Hill, which are brewed right here in Silverdale by Mike and Dee Armstrong. They began selling their sodas in 2006 as 'something to do' once Mike retired from being a fire fighter. Their root beer is so good it sells out all the time, and we offer a variety of their other great flavors as well!
Our poultry and meats are hormone and antibiotic free; the chickens are free-range; the beef is grass fed and local; the pork is farm raised on Lopez Island and is natural and organic; the salmon is wild-caught Alaskan or Northwest, and everything else is chosen carefully to be safe and satisfying for you to eat.
We use only olive oil, canola oil, some nut oils and real butter for fats in our cooking and baking. We do not use processed foods; nearly everything is made here, and so we can guarantee the quality and freshness of every bite.
Our paper products, including baking papers and coffee filters, are unbleached, and we try to find paper products that are at least partly post-consumer recycled, if not all.
Our light bulbs are compact fluorescent lights. We subscribe to green power through PSE and all of our cleaning supplies are environmentally friendly and chemical-free, except for what we are required to have by law.
We compost our food waste, we recycle everything that the county will take from us, and we donate to the food bank several times a week, as well as get involved with other charities. We want to leave a smaller footprint on this earth. We are doing some things well and we know there are lots of ways that we can do better. Some of them are expensive and therefore are our future goals. Other things we may not be aware of and we welcome your suggestions and ideas.
Monica’s Team is grateful to each customer who walks through our door. We know that you choose to come here and spend your time and money with us. We want you to know that we are taking responsibility, being active in our community, and taking better care of you with every bite you take.
Thank you for letting us feed you! ~Team Bakery |
Mark Downen is our baker, my business partner and my husband. Mark
has always had a knack for baking and working with his hands; he was an auto
mechanic for 16 years prior to this career move. We have been dating since 1987, when he was in the Marine Corps and I was in college. We married in
1991 and Mark has never failed to
support me in anything; this café is no exception.
I am Monica Downen,
owner and operator of Monica's Waterfront Bakery & Café. I worked for the
King County Sheriff's Office for 15 years as a dispatcher/911 Operator and in July of 2005 I quit my job and, with the encouragement of my friends and family, I entertained the idea of
opening a restaurant. I had worked in all aspects of restaurants all through high school and college, but that was a long time ago, so I knew I had some research to do. The previous owner of the bakery agreed to become my mentor and soon we agreed that I would buy her restaurant.
This life is far more
than I could have ever bargained for, and I love every second of it. Even
the less pleasant stuff is a learning experience and I start, and end, every
single day with a huge THANK YOU to the Universe.
Leslie came to us in February of 2008. She is a courageous woman, quitting her job and taking some risks to find her heart's career path. Leslie's background is in information technology, but she is a natural on the front line at the cafe. We have watched her blossom and she has taken to the place like an Irish woman come home at last! These days Leslie is making the soups and salads, and is branching into the kitchen as well as working the front counter.
Rheycel started in November of 2008 and has she ever jumped in with gusto! She was thrown into the mix rapidly when staffing and weather played havoc on all of us and she has pitched in like a natural part of the team from the very first day. We love Rheycel's willingness to adapt and her wry sense of humor. Watch out for her!
Honorable
Katie was part of our Original Crew. As of August 2007
Katie is spreading her wings to find a different career path, but she still
loves to fly back to see her old nest.
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Others we miss...
Ivy worked with us from August, 2007 until March, 2009. She was an integral part of our team and family, and we wish her all the best things in life!
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Betuel has worked at the café since 1989 and we are honored that he decided to stay on with our team. He is
our right hand man in the kitchen, providing us with the majority of our
prep work. Among other things, Betuel makes the Wraps, the Panini, the
Dilled Chicken, the Pesto Tortelloni, the Meatloaf, and he helps out with
much, much more. Muchas Gracias, Betuel!
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Sharon has worked at the café since 1999. She
is our retail manager and is usually the first face you will see in the
mornings. She is in charge of most of the ordering, and she helps us keep
the place running smoothly. Sharon's input is invaluable to me in my
decision-making and I always know I can count on her to help me think things
through. Sharon's laugh is infectious and makes my day when I hear it!
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Erin climbed on board with us in February of 2009, and she is now our second baker! She is sweet and smart and a very quick study. Erin is a vegan and her dedication to her belief system is admirable. She is open to sharing and educating us all about what it means to her to be a vegan, and we have enjoyed learning from her, even as she is learning from us.
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Mention |
Lori was the longest staying member of our "Original Crew". In December of 2008 she followed her heart to the southern U.S. and we are stuck missing her and wishing her the best, all at the same time.
Alycia Midence, another member of our Original Crew. Since January of
2007 she is finding her own road to follow, and
she is very much still a part of our family.
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'Tis Better to have hired and lost, than never to have hired at all!
Renee started with us in January 2007 and learned the job faster than anyone we have ever hired. She is busy with her young family and we love it when she stops by to say hi! |
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