Her Story
About Cynara
Cynara Gaubert is a seasoned food-service professional and donut shop owner with extensive hands-on experience spanning nearly four decades. Beginning her work in the family donut business at a young age, she developed practical expertise in restaurant operations, customer service, hospitality, cleanliness, quality control, and business management. Her professional background includes management positions at Rob's Donut, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, retail operations, and other food-service establishments, where she was responsible for daily operations, staff development, scheduling, inventory, food-safety compliance, and customer experience.
Throughout her career, Gaubert has approached operations from a comprehensive management perspective, paying close attention to details ranging from facility cleanliness and organization to employee presentation and customer service. She also helped establish and operate a donut shop that generated approximately $1 million in annual sales between 2013 and 2016, an achievement associated with her receipt of a national award for donuts. Her professional development has been shaped primarily by hands-on industry experience, complemented by a high school diploma earned in 2001 and a GED obtained in 2012 or 2013.
Gaubert's professional philosophy centers on faith, diligence, respect, resilience, and doing one's best regardless of the task. She believes that every individual deserves to be treated with dignity, regardless of position or experience, and that strong operations depend on consistency, attention to detail, and high standards. Her career journey—including periods of employment and transportation challenges—has strengthened her adaptability and determination, while her experiences in food service have given her a broad understanding of what it takes to keep a business operating effectively.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Cynara
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute much of my success to my extensive hands-on experience and knowledge of the food-service industry. Over the years, I have learned to pay attention to every aspect of a business, from the parking lot and entrance to cleanliness, tables, trash areas, condiments, uniforms, organization, and the overall customer experience.
I have developed the habit of looking at a business through the eyes of an inspector or manager rather than focusing only on my individual responsibilities. I believe that cleanliness, organization, proper uniforms, attention to detail, consistency, and maintaining high standards are all essential to operating a successful food-service business.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
One of the best pieces of career advice I have received is to treat everyone with respect, regardless of their age, position, or level of experience. Everyone deserves to be treated as an adult and with dignity.
I believe that we are all working toward similar goals—providing for our families, improving ourselves, and contributing to the success of the businesses where we work. Even when I have experienced unfair treatment or situations where others tried to make me look bad, I have continued to focus on doing my job well and treating people respectfully.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
One of the best pieces of career advice I have received is to treat everyone with respect, regardless of their age, position, or level of experience. Everyone deserves to be treated as an adult and with dignity.
I believe that we are all working toward similar goals—providing for our families, improving ourselves, and contributing to the success of the businesses where we work. Even when I have experienced unfair treatment or situations where others tried to make me look bad, I have continued to focus on doing my job well and treating people respectfully.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
My career journey has included many challenges and transitions. I worked as an assistant manager at Popeyes for approximately four years, where I gained significant management and operational experience. Later, after experiencing transportation and employment challenges, I worked in other positions before helping establish and operate a donut shop. I spent approximately a year helping get the business up and running before unexpectedly losing that position.
Afterward, finding stable employment became more difficult, and I experienced job rejections that I had not encountered earlier in my career. This created financial pressure and uncertainty, so I used opportunities through DoorDash, Uber, and Instacart to continue earning income while searching for stable employment. These experiences have taught me resilience, adaptability, and the importance of continuing to move forward even when circumstances become difficult.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
God is at the center of both my professional and personal life, and my faith helps keep me grounded, especially when life becomes difficult. I also believe strongly in always doing my best, regardless of the task. Whether I am cleaning, cooking, serving a guest, maintaining a building, or caring for my children, I try to give my best effort.
I believe in treating people the way I would want to be treated. Even when I am having a difficult day, I try not to take my frustrations out on the people around me. Instead, I try to maintain a positive attitude and, whenever possible, make someone else's day better.
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