As hungry citizens enter Valparaiso's Blackbird Café, they are greeted by the friendly and welcoming employees. Blackbird is home to people of all ages; whether it may be teenagers or mothers strolling in with their young children. The atmosphere- books draped across the left side bookshelf of the café, the cozy couches which have significance to many, and the menu written in chalk- makes Blackbird one of the most unique local businesses in Northwest Indiana. Every week, we will be documented each one of the employees which have contributed a great deal to Blackbird and deserve credit for the restaurant's success.
Zac Stoehr is one of these employees. He is currently a computer information system major and a physics minor at Indiana University Northwest. When he isn't studying or reading textbooks (for fun, I might add), he loves to golf, work on his car, and is ready to make anything out of nothing. Stoehr has a knack for making and/or fixing random gadgets he can get his hands on. He believes that this quality of his has played a part in his love for cooking.
Stoehr is a prime example of how word of mouth travels quickly. Stoehr found out about Blackbird café through a friend and decided to apply. He didn't think much of it- the only thing that was going through his head was the fact that it was probably better than his last job at a restaurant, which wasn't hard to beat. Applying ended up being one of the best decisions he's made. Stoehr says he doesn't mind the 25 minute drive from Portage, which is where he resides.
He states, "Blackbird does a great job of dividing the responsibility of work amongst the employees so no one person is doing everything. It's nice because no one person gets burdened and stressed out."
It is evident that Stoehr sounds like a bright and interesting guy. To meet him and some of the other intriguing employees, stop by Blackbird Café, located at 114 Lincolnway.