If you are like most students who spend much of their free time in the cafeteria, you are probably familiar with many of the staff members who work in the kitchen or on the register.

Whether you are a frequent customer or just spend extra time in the Student Center, it is hard to miss some of the faces of those working just a few steps away.

One thing that makes any staff memorable is the way they treat their customers.

One individual who most people may recognize is head cashier, Patricia Garza. She has worked at Palo Alto for about two years, and she enjoys sharing her 20 plus years of experience in providing good service with her fellow employees.

"It's really important to be friendly, because the students are the reason we're working here," Garza said.

Another aspect that makes for such a friendly experience for both staff and customers is the easy-going atmosphere of a small-scale campus as opposed to the hustle and bustle of a large university.

"I've never worked with college students before, and I love it here. I love it a lot," Garza said.

Another aspect that makes for such a friendly experience for both staff and customers is the easy-going atmosphere of a small-scale campus as opposed to the hustle and bustle of a large university.

"I've never worked with college students before, and I love it here. I love it a lot," Garza said.

The staff also has some pretty interesting people behind the scenes, like Julian Ramirez, one of the cooks here on campus. Ramirez has kids who are in college, and his experience working at Palo Alto has him considering attending classes himself.

"I see students here who are my age and I think, 'Hey it's not too late," said Ramirez.

After retiring a few years back, he decided to start working again, and he got a job here at Palo Alto in 2007 with his first job as a cook.

"I really like it here. The people are real nice," said Ramirez.

Of course, every good staff is not without a good leader. Emma Buril is the division manager, and she also oversees the staff at St. Philip's Southwest Campus. With over 30 years in the food business working in public schools, health care facilities and restaurants, Buril knows what it takes to run an outstanding staff.

"I have a good staff. We have a lot of fun here," said Buril. "We make our job worthwhile.

Buril has developed a passion for management over the years.

"I love what I do. I love the food industry," said Buril. "This is my first job in the college atmosphere, and I really like it.

Buril has worked at Palo Alto for the past year and a half, and she has even started taking classes here, part-time, toward a degree in business management. She even plans to take some courses this summer, and she is very excited.

"They're very friendly," said Palo Alto student Alexander Donias. With his own food service experience working at Bill Miller, Donias knows a solid staff when he sees one. "From what I can tell, they like what they do."