Of Sicilian and Maltese descent, Rosario Saddemi infuses the atmosphere at The Cake Box Park Towers (St. Julian’s) with enthusiasm and positive work ethic. Frequenting customers offer him hurried salutes as they make their way to work, whilst others make pit stops at the counter for a quick chat whilst he’s brewing their hot drink.

Rosario – commonly known as Saro – was a perfect match for the position of Jr. Café Supervisor within CaterEssence, where he keeps honing on his expertise in catering and a role as an overseer, following years as a bar owner in the Sicilian locale of Comiso. Leaving his beloved Sicily behind and establishing a new home in an uncharted country brought about many hardships, but he managed to surpass them all with a strong and resolute character.

On any typical day, Saro starts his day at 06:50am with bread preparation, packaging and labelling everything with its own price. When he started off, Rosario was not too confident at the bread section, but by way of experience and a helping hand from his colleagues, he mastered the job and now takes delight in getting behind the prep process. From being responsible for food provision to, at times, the entire outlet, Saro has an eventful work schedule. His favourite shift is the morning one. Amongst checking his emails and processing invoices, he gets to meet and converse with plenty of customers. The days are busy for Rosario, so knowing how to prioritise tasks and having the back-up of a team makes the days smoother.

Saro leaves traces of connections wherever he goes. Friends and close relatives stop by The Cake Box for a quick sip, managers and former colleagues visit to extend greetings.