Imagine being so dedicated to your craft that you become skilled at each and every position in your place of employment. While this feat sounds like a dream for most, this is Angela Orta’s real life in the restaurant industry.
“I've been working in the restaurant business pretty much my whole life and that's what I'm currently doing. I'm a pastry chef, so I do that but I do a lot of other stuff too,” Orta said.
Orta is definitely no stranger to the bustling, fast-paced, restaurant environment. She currently works at Bare Bones Gastropub in La Porte, Indiana, and before that worked at Greenbush Brewing Company in Michigan for five years. She considers herself a pastry chef but cooks many different things.
“I’ve basically worked an entire restaurant,” Orta said.
Orta’s love for cooking started in her teens, where a natural ability gave way to eventually going to culinary school after graduating from high school. While in school, she worked in the restaurant business, starting with front-of-house jobs where she interacted with the public. While Orta liked working these lucrative jobs when she was younger, she ultimately found herself taking back-of-house jobs, which included jobs in the kitchen.
“I just decided I wanted to go to culinary school when I got out of high school, so I did that and worked in the restaurant while I was in school. I just felt like that was something that I excelled at so I stuck with it. And I've been doing it pretty much ever since. I haven't really done anything else,” she said.
Over the years, Orta discovered that working with food wasn’t just something she was good at, but it was also her passion. She thrived in the work environment, which was an added plus.
“I've always had a passion for cooking, and I found that it always came easy to me. I’ve always enjoyed feeding people, and it's also a hustle. It's definitely something that keeps you very busy most of the time, which is something I like about it. I'm very rarely slow and like to stay busy,” she said.
During the pandemic, it was no surprise to see that the service industry was hit especially hard. With social distancing and lockdowns, many restaurants have shut down or have seen a dramatic uptick in workers leaving. While the pandemic has made Orta consider a change of career, it’s her love and dedication to the restaurant industry and cooking that makes her stay.
While some have chosen to take things a bit lighter during the pandemic, Orta chooses to stay busy and is rarely seen taking it slow.
“Feeding people is a hustle,” Orta said.
Orta is also a dedicated wife and dog mom. She has been with her husband for 12 years, married for five, and loves her two Golden Retrievers.
She hopes to be able to see her family this year for the holidays and enjoy someone else’s cooking for once.
“My favorite dessert to eat is creme brulee. I do make it quite a bit, but I always appreciate it when someone makes desserts or food in general” Orta said.