Metro Family Spotlight: March 2019
The owners of Metropolitan Bakery are often asked the same question: “Is Metro a family business?”. In the traditional sense the answer is no -- but Wendy Born and James Barrett haven’t spent the last two plus decades working alongside just employees. No matter a six month stint or a twenty year career, they ensure everyone that works at MB feels a sense of belonging. They’re a tribe of “Metroites” -- a diverse community of talented folks who lend their unique skills to a small but mighty company that, after 25 years, persists in an ever changing landscape of trendy competition. Born and Barrett would argue it’s equal parts their product and their tribe that keep them going day after day -- year after year.
Metro Family Spotlight is a new monthly series highlighting our very awesome community of undergrad and graduate students, artists, dancers, musicians, philosophers, business owners, writers, coffee snobs, sports enthusiasts, world travelers, hippies, and bon vivants. These are our people.
Hailing from Hillsborough, NJ (major Jersey pride from this guy), John has worked at MB for five years with a quick sojourn somewhere in the middle. At Temple University, John majored in philosophy and minored in English, and right now he’s setting his sights on law school. Where and when to be determined.
When John isn’t crafting beautiful espresso drinks at Metropolitan Pizza & Cafe (yes, he’s also a coffee snob), you can find him bumming around East Passyunk Square, saddled at McGlinchey’s Bar, seeing a show at Union Transfer or the Sin Bucket, playing music, reading, writing, or eating one of his favorite Metro snacks. He thinks you should try our Salted Sour Cherry Chocolate Cookie, Cannele, or Tarragon Chicken Salad on the Pain au Levain loaf.
Born and raised in northeast Philly, Maddie has spent nearly four years at MB. Acting as our assistant manager, she can be found manning up to three different locations in one week -- something she finds keeps her work-life more interesting. On why she loves Metropolitan, Maddie says, “It feels like a family. I love coming into work knowing our customer’s names and what’s going on in their lives.”
Maddie double majored in Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences, and Psychology at Temple University (Go Owls!). When she’s not at Metro, you can usually find her babysitting the-Children-of-Center-City-Philadelphia, baking (chocolate chip cookies in particular), hanging with friends, practicing yoga, or biking around the city headed to do one of the aforementioned things (she always wears her helmet). Her favorite Philly spots are Penn Treaty Park or any of Fishtown’s many dive bars.
Maddie’s Metro recommendations: San Francisco Sourdough -- because you just can't go wrong with a classic white sourdough bread. Chocolate Croissants or the Chocolate Chip Scones -- because butter and chocolate is SUCH a good combo. And the Coconut Layer Cake -- if you don't know why then you haven't had it!
