By Ashlyn Beck | Staff Writer
Belinda Olivares, who has worked at Baylor for 16 years, makes everyone who walks by the Moody Memorial Library Starbucks feel loved by calling them by name, knowing their coffee order and playing fun music.
Olivares started working on Aug. 13, 2007, when the idea for a Moody Starbucks hadn’t even been discussed and the campus Starbucks was in Dutton Parking Garage. Now, Olivares is the supervisor of the Moody Starbucks.
Olivares said she has experienced ups and downs in her career at Baylor, but more than anything, she has loved creating relationships with the students and faculty she serves.
“I love my students,” Olivares said. “I’ve gotten acquainted with them. I’ve gone to some graduations where they’ve invited me, and then some do come for homecoming games to visit, so that says a lot.”
Olivares said she tries to see her customers not just as drink orders but as people with names and stories.
“That’s what keeps them coming,” Olivares said. “They want you to know them as a person, not just as a drink.”
Olivares said working at the Moody Starbucks helps her make customers’ days better, even if it is by something as simple as calling them by name when they order.
“I’m a people person,” Olivares said. “And at the beginning, I wasn’t. It just … grew on me. It took [knowing]
all these students on a one-on-one basis and being on a personal level with them, asking them how their families are doing and everything.”
In addition to connecting with her customers, Olivares said she strives to make the store a comfortable and fun environment for her employees. They are encouraged to play music and try different drink concoctions.
“I always have that positive motivation for them,” Olivares said. “As a supervisor, I have to instill that with my team. I feel like the skill that I have is building them up … to fulfill whatever it is they want to do.”
Ligia Tossato, an employee at the Moody Starbucks, said she would not have applied for the job if it weren’t for Olivares. Tossato said she went to Baylor and saw Olivares’ kind and
loving demeanor, which convinced her to come back after graduation.
“Belinda … always knew my order,” Tossato said. “She would always give me free treats, and she was always super nice with me. It was such an important part of my Baylor career. I wanted to work with her.”
Tossato said the love students have for Olivares is obvious, and Olivares makes working enjoyable.
“Everybody knows her,” Tossato said. “Everybody asks for her, and she’s just a really nice person to be around, and people respect her.”
Olivares said taking on greater responsibility can be challenging, but it is worth it to see her customers and employees every day.
“I just stay focused and say, ‘One cup at a time,’” Olivares said.
