Dorita Angelats' cheerfulness, friendliness, and superior customer service earned her 'Cashier of the Year' honors from the Massachusetts Restaurant Association. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
It seems that anyone who interacts with Boston College Dining Services cashier Dorita Angelats canāt help but smile ā and her ability to boost spirits is literally prize-winning.
Angelatsā cheerfulness, friendliness, and superior customer service at the Newton Campus Mini Mart have earned her the honor of the Massachusetts Restaurant Associationās 2017 āCashier of the Year.ā
āI couldnāt believe it,ā said Angelats, who was presented with the award at the MRA Stars of the Industry Gala last fall. āI had a mix of feelings. I was happy, nervous, and overwhelmed.ā
The Stars of the Industry Awards recognize exceptional employees in the stateās food and beverage industry. Ļć½¶Šć competes with other university dining services as well as commercial restaurants. Among the various 2017 Stars of the Industry finalists were noteworthy destinations such as the Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center, South Shore Country Club, Wahlburgers, and Papa Razzi.
āI am proud Dorita was recognized with this distinguished award,ā said Angelatsā supervisor, Sharyl Thompson, general manager for Ļć½¶ŠćDS operations on Newton Campus, who describes Angelats as a āball of energy.ā
āHer enthusiasm exemplifies customer service at its best,ā continued Thompson. āShe is well-known and respected by many students, staff, and colleagues.ā
Angelats wasnāt the only Ļć½¶ŠćDS employee to impress the MRA judges in this most recent competition. Marco Meza (McElroy) and Claudia Trilleras (CafĆ© 129) were finalists for the Peopleās Choice Award and Cashier of the Year Award, respectively.
āThese three employees exemplify the dedication to the Boston College community that our team members exhibit every day,ā said Dining Services Director Beth Emery, who noted that Ļć½¶ŠćDS was the only restaurant operation in Massachusetts to have three Stars of the Industry finalists. āWe are incredibly proud of them.ā
Angelatsā recognition builds on Ļć½¶ŠćDSās previous success in this competition. Other Ļć½¶ŠćDS employees named Stars of the Industry winners are cooks Keze Whitlow (2015) and Marlon Mazier (2013), dishroom supervisor Manny Milfort (2010), and cashier Roisin Reilly (2009).
āDorita is loved by both the Law students and the freshmen that live on Newton Campus,ā said Dining Services Director Beth Emery. āWe are so lucky to have her at the Mini Mart where she talks to students and staff as if they were family members.ā
Angelats learned the importance of good customer service at a young age, helping her father at his pharmacy and her mother at her paper store.
āI remember my dad saying, āAlways, customers first. You have to treat people well, like you would want them to treat you.āā
Angelats has been working at the Mini Mart on Newton Campus since it opened in 2012. She has forged deep ties with Ļć½¶Šć students, helping students with their Spanish assignments. She has been invited by Ļć½¶Šć Law students to attend their annual Black and White Ball and traveled to Minnesota to attend the wedding of a Ļć½¶Šć Law graduate.
āDorita is loved by both the Law students and the freshmen that live on Newton Campus,ā said Emery. āWe are so lucky to have her at the Mini Mart where she talks to students and staff as if they were family members.ā
āI love working with the undergrads and the Law students,ā said Angelats. āThey are wonderful. They tell me stories and talk about their feelings.
āThey are looking for someone to talk to them, to listen to them, give them a hug or smile,ā added Angelats.
Angelats can relate to the loneliness and uncertainty the freshmen and first-year Law students are experiencing. She emigrated from Peru along with her husband and three children to Massachusetts more than 13 years ago. At the time, Angelats was the only one in her family who could speak English and they knew only one family in their new hometown of Acton.
Angelats started working at Ļć½¶Šć Dining as a temp in 2006, making sandwiches at the Eagles Nest. She was hired part-time in 2007 and later began a four-year stint as a cashier at Lyons Hall. She became a full-time employee when she took a position as a cashier for Late Night dining on Newton Campus.
Angelatsā three children are enrolled in the Woods College of Advancing Studies. Her youngest works for Dining Services in Lyons Hall.
āI really love to work at Boston College,ā said Angelats. āItās a nice community. I really love it. I feel home.ā
Ģż
--Kathleen Sullivan | University Communications