Hoffman spent eight years as a English teacher in Southbridge – including mentoring new teachers and advising students – and only worked at BirchTree with husband Robert Fecteau on the side, as bookkeeper, farmers’ market girl, barista and front-of-house manager. When the restaurant started booming, she switched to full time at BirchTree, handling finances, human resources and marketing while still proudly serving coffee.
Her favorite aspect remains engaging with customers and bringing in community activities like local artists and musicians. Hoffman’s spare time is spent in her and Facteau’s home garden with their dog, cat and chickens.
What will colleagues say at your funeral? She loved her animals. She loved to make puns. She didn’t stop.
Your favorite Central Mass. restaurant? Vincent’s in Worcester. I could eat their meatball sandwich paired with a dirty vodka martini on the daily.
Ideal vacation? Anywhere. I value time off when and wherever I get it.
Meet the other 40 Under Forty winners for 2017
Asmar N. Akman – Akman Enterprises Inc.
Brendan Aylward – Unified Health and Performance
Greta Bajrami Campoverde – Golden Group Construction Corp.
Kathryn Behan – UMass Memorial Healthcare
Heather Belair – Bay State Savings Bank
Neil Callahan – R.H. White Construction
Michelle L. Cote, Esq. – Law Offices of Richard S. Ravosa
Julianne Dahrooge – Chan & Dahrooge Financial Group, LLC
Patrick J. DiGregorio – Veterans Inc.
Courtney Ross Escobar – Doucette & LaRose, LLC
Robert Fecteau – BirchTree Bread Co.
Hilary Gardner – The Davis Cos.
Ashleigh C. Gelinas, Esq. – Gelinas & Ward, LLP
Maryann C. Johnson – Oak Hill CDC
Kevin G. Johnson – O’Connor, Maloney & Company, P.C.
Heather Mangione – United Way of Central Massachusetts
Jay Merrill – Clifford & Rano Associates
Meghan E. Montaner – The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts
Edward Murphy – Baystate Investment Fund
Joy Rachelle Murrieta – Main IDEA
Dr. Milka Njoroge, PharmD – Century Homecare, LLC
Andrew B. Palumbo – Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Kevin Peterssen – United Bank
John T. Pitcavage – Endless Energy
Julia Randall, M.D. – Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center
Keith Reardon – Commonwealth Consulting Group, LLC
Giselle Rivera-Flores – The Learning Hub & IgWorcesterMA
Jamie Salois – Atlas Distributing
Lindiana Semidei – Raices Latin Dance
Jody Staruk – Consigli Construction Co., Inc.
Francisco Torres – Town of Westborough
Abel Travis – Hanover Insurance Group
Elizabeth Tripp – Hanover Insurance Group
Alexis G. Vallejos – Columbia Tech
David Viens – Bowditch & Dewey, LLP
