There’s no better way to celebrate National Donut Day than by chatting with Sr. Bakery Category Manager, Stephanie Rovnak. Join us as we unwrap Stephanie’s culinary career and see what she’s been baking up during her tenure with Giant Eagle. Let’s dig in!

First things first: If you could choose any donut in the bakery case, which would you pick?

My favorite is a jelly-filled donut with white icing; our apple black raspberry filling is the perfect donut filling. There are many delicious and fresh donut options to choose from! With over 17.5 million donuts sold every year, we make sure to keep our bakery cases fully stocked for our Guests.

How did you become interested in the Bakery Department?

I started in our stores 22 years ago on the Front End and quickly moved into the Bakery Department. I’ve been here ever since! I spent a few years working directly in the department as a Bakery Clerk before participating in our Team Leader Development Program and becoming a Bakery Leader. After about 7 years as a Bakery Leader, I took the role of Merchandising Planner and have continued to learn and develop into expanded roles.

That’s impressive! What has kept you with the company for so long?

First and foremost, it’s the people – Giant Eagle is full of great people! I really enjoy working with my fellow Team Members. I also really love our bakeries; from developing new products to rolling out programs in our stores, there is never a dull moment. We’re always changing, adapting and adjusting to keep our offerings fresh and fun.

What has been your most memorable experience in the Bakery Department?

One of my most memorable bakery experiences is when a Guest brought a cake back into the store and asked if we could fix it. The Guest’s cat had laid on her cake box and left a perfect cat imprint on the cake. We laughed and chatted with the Guest while remaking the cake. Remaking her cake, and saving her celebration, all while she chatted with us, really showed me how little things we do can have such a big impact on someone’s day!

What makes Giant Eagle bakeries so special and different from competitors?

In your local Market District & Giant Eagle Bakery Department you’ll find high quality products that are baked and decorated fresh in-store. This is a point of differentiation for us. We also have great Baking and Cake Decorating Apprentice Programs to help develop our Team Members. Like me, many Bakery Team Members start in our stores as clerks and developed into skilled roles.

Aside from our delicious donuts, what is your favorite Giant Eagle bakery item?

My absolute favorite dessert is our Strawberry Almond Cassata Torte! This is a white almond cake filled with Bavarian crème and fresh strawberries. It’s iced with our Signature Giant Eagle Buttercream, then coated in sugared toasted almonds and garnished with glazed fresh strawberries. It’s such a delicious cake!

I also love our Market District Authentic Baguettes. The baguettes feature a custom recipe that was voted on by guests in our stores! I love it with pesto, dolce tomatoes, burrata and balsamic glaze.

If someone was interested in becoming a Giant Eagle Bakery Team Member, what should they do?

We would love for you to join us! Apply today at jobs.gianteagle.com.