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Situated on a quiet corner of Washington, D.C.’s bustling Georgetown neighborhood, a quaint two-story bakery is growing quickly. While the first floor holds the store front and seating space, the second story houses offices, a prep kitchen, and the classroom workspace. This bakery doesn’t just produce fresh-baked artisan breads and pastries; they’re producing future business leaders.
A variety of goodies in the Dog Tag Bakery pastry case. Photo via Dog Tag Bakery's Instagram account.
After working for years in five star restaurants and large hotels in Europe and the US, pastry chef Rebecca Clerget determined it was time to move on. She then met Father Rick Curry, SJ and got involved in his newest project: Dog Tag Bakery. Dog Tag Bakery not only produces delicious breads and pastries, they run a program to train military veterans on small business ownership and operations. Inspired by Father Curry’s mission Clerget joined the Dog Tag team as a consultant in May of 2014. Her extensive training, and experience as the Executive Pastry Chef at the Fairmont Hotel in Washington, DC paved the way for her to become Dog Tag’s Executive Pastry Chef by August 2014.
Pastry Chef Rebecca Clerget poses with a sign next to the Dog Tag Bakery pastry case
Before the opening in December of 2014, Clerget join Father Curry and co-founder Connie Milstein in forming a five month course covering everything from accounting and finance to entrepreneurship and business policy. Military veterans, spouses, and caregivers attend classes and go through a rotation of working in different departments of the bakery gaining hands on experience. Participants do stints in accounting, marketing, and even the bakeshop. While working in the bakery, students make their own creations that sometimes find their way on to the menu, such as the recent CardaMOM Cake designed to celebrate Mother’s Day.
With their third class coming up on graduation, Dog Tag encourages its graduates to “carry their new critical thinking skills into existing corporations”. The program also works with participants on resume building and interview skills aiming to “provide them with the skills they need to transition into the civilian sector”.
Dr. Dana Robinson-Street spent 26 years serving in the military, and recently retired from her extensive career as a Naval Officer. She heard about Dog Tag at a seminar, applied online and was accepted to the program that she says is teaching her how to “thrive and survive” in the business world. Dr. Robinson-Street explains that while veterans grew up in regular society, they spend a great deal of time away beginning (for many veterans) immediately after high school graduation. Becoming reacquainted with society can be difficult, and that’s where Dog Tag comes in, teaching skills they may not have learned in the military. Dr. Robinson-Street points out networking as one of her favorite new skills.
Pastry Chef Rebecca Clerget with two of Dog Tag Bakery's business development students, Dr. Dana Robinson-Street and Darius Johnson.
As the company looks forward to beginning their fourth class, they also look back at the students who have already completed the program. Many graduates go on to continue their education, while others go to work for other nonprofit groups with a similar goal: helping our veterans.
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About The Author
Samantha Cutrona joined AUI in 2014 after spending years working in the hospitality industry in South Carolina. A graduate of Coastal Carolina University, Samantha is now a Marketing Associate/ Resident Bartender at AUI. In her spare time she enjoys traveling, relaxing on rooftops, and discovering new taco stands.