“From that moment forward I knew I wanted to continue growing”

Anthony Alvarado

I began my journey at Northgate pushing shopping carts. I knew I wanted to grow in the company, so I learned the cashier produce codes and one day a cashier had called out and I volunteered to step in. From that moment forward I knew I wanted to continue growing. The leader at the time then moved me into the Cocina department and this is where I discovered my love for the cocina department. During that time Northgate was working on its Mercado project, a project that re-engineered the way we did things and added new areas in the business such as taqueria, floral and presentation kitchen among others. After this there was an opportunity to work in the new Anaheim location to train and help the team there with the store opening. This opportunity helped me grow further so when I moved to the new La Habra store, I had more experience in training and in multiple areas of the store.

While at the La Habra store I applied and was promoted to the Research and Development Culinary Coordinator. With this position I learned that it is important to apply and take the plunge, if you have some of the competencies, Northgate offers great on the job training.  Within this role I volunteered for more areas such as going and staffing events, and community outreach. It is important to be a continuous learner and that is something I actively do. If you believe you can do it, Northgate offers great opportunities. If you see an opportunity, apply and even if you do not get it the first time around, keep working and being open to learn and grow because Northgate offers many opportunities to grow.

I have been able to grow within the company because I have always worked hard but also taken opportunities as I have seen them. I am now a trainer for an important e-commerce project called Northgate Pronto where I lead a staff of associates that fulfill our customer’s orders.

My advice for any new or current associate is to know that this is the beginning of an exciting adventure. You will learn much more than you can think of at Northgate.