After almost three years in business, Starling Bakery closed its doors during Labor Day weekend. Located on Front Street in Scituate Harbor, the business opened in November 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the state of quarantine, the opening of the bakery was highly anticipated, replacing the frozen yogurt store, Creyo.
Former SHS substitute teacher Scott Lietz founded the business, adding to the Harbor lineup of restaurants and cafes. As described by his former SHS employees, Lietz was known as a “talented, spirited, and charismatic” business owner. SHS seniors Andrei Aprea, Sophie Blanchard, Emma Braun, and Lindsay Thurling worked at Starling Bakery.
According to these SHS seniors, the bakery’s environment was “calm, relaxing, chill, and fun” due to Lietz’s management style. Blanchard recalled that she “looked forward” to her shifts even though they started at 7 a.m.
When asked to describe their experience working at Starling, all four students eagerly expressed their appreciation for the freedom in their former workplace. Transitioning from a previous job that she described as having “awful management with a mean boss,” Blanchard said, Lietz showed her “how a workplace should be.” Blanchard remained loyal to the bakery up until the closing.
Similar to Blanchard, Thurling, who is currently employed at Levis, expressed the drastic difference between working for a small business and a corporate company. Illustrating Levis as a company with “strict rules and quotas to meet,” Thurling appreciated the freedom at Starling. Thurling said, “You were not there only to get paid,” emphasizing management’s contribution to the environment at Starling.
Starling’s homemade blueberry scones and croissants were their most popular items. Thurling and Braun agreed that when the bakery was busy, it was due to the requests for their baked goods. Recalling the popularity of their scones, Thurling remembered they “had people take 12 at one time.” Reminiscing about her former customers, Braun said she liked the feeling of “knowing people’s orders as they came in.” Braun added, “I think that’s one of the parts I miss the most, having that connection with people. We all kind of started to know the regulars more personally.”
According to all four students, their best memories from Starling included the outgoing personality of Scott Lietz. Blanchard said she would talk to her boss “about anything and everything,” gaining advice with regard to work, personal, and school-related issues. “Valuing the employees was a top priority at Starling,” Braun proudly shared, demonstrating the above-and-beyond tactic Lietz used in growing his small business. Braun confessed that she “cried for a whole day” when she learned the bakery would be closing.
As they’ve begun working hard at new jobs, these seniors were asked if they would consider working for a new bakery rumored to be opening in Scituate Harbor. Each student disclosed they wouldn’t apply for another bakery job out of loyalty and respect for their former employer.