In the bustling Powell Food City deli, Veronica Collins stands out for her infectious enthusiasm with every deli task. Though her official title is deli cook, she seamlessly shifts between slicing meats, crafting gourmet sandwiches, filling the hot bar, or serving bakery customers, all while greeting with a warm smile and a witty remark. Her cross-training has equipped her to handle everything from the grill to the cash register, and she tackles each task with a can-do spirit that brightens the day of everyone who walks in. The bakery is where I first met Veronica, and we met several times after that. Not only did she take my cake order, but she also offered excellent suggestions and even carried one of my large orders to the car.
So, what is the story of this multi-tasking young woman? Veronica is well past the honeymoon period that most jobs experience, having been at Food City Deli for over three years. Veronica lives less than five minutes from her full-time position in the deli, and counts it a daily blessing to come to work with the people at this store, whom she describes as “really nice.” She says, “I immediately fell in love with the people who work here.” Veronica pointed to Robin as an example of the “sweetest lady.” She also shared how the cake decorators, Lindsey and Bonnie, are like an older sister and a mom figure, respectively.
Customer relationships are another aspect of Veronica’s job that she finds fulfilling. Loyal customers come for their usual meals, especially breakfast, as well as other regular deli items. She actually names several customers who have their repeat orders and describes how co-worker Robin has one customer’s plate ready and waiting each morning.
In addition to the relationship with her coworkers and customers, Veronica “really likes making stuff.” Every day, she creates a new genre of food: Monday is Italian, Tuesday is tacos, Wednesday is Asian, and so on. She says, “I get to make creative things if I’m like, ooh, this sounds good. I get to make it and see how it goes. I’m not limited by anything.”
So, the next time you are in Powell, stop by Food City Deli and meet the irresistible Veronica Collins. She may be serving your plate, slicing your ham, or taking your cake order, but you will most certainly be blessed with the interaction.
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