Hannah Rafkin

Anyone who has enjoyed an iced mocha, a London fog or a Sunrise Smoothie from The Café in the past two years probably has Molly Safford to thank. Safford has worked in The Café since Fall 2015, though she previously worked for Jack Magee’s Pub and Grill.

A Brunswick native, Safford was born at Parkview Hospital, graduated from Brunswick High School in 2000 and attended Southern New Hampshire University at Cook’s Corner.

“I don’t go very far,” she said with a smile.

Safford has fond memories of her upbringing in Brunswick.

“You could go everywhere by foot. I walked to school, I walked to work, anywhere I needed to go. Everything was downtown. I loved the freedom of being able to walk everywhere,” she said.

Safford has watched Brunswick evolve over the years.

“It’s a little more crowded. There’s a lot more people that are interested in being in Brunswick. I think it’s on the track of being more like Portland.”

Safford describes herself as family-oriented. She has two daughters—an 11-year-old and a nine-year-old.

“We cook dinners every night, and on the weekends it’s birthday parties and you name it,” she said.

Her daughters play softball, soccer and basketball. They also do Outward Bound, perform in school plays and help with their garden at their Durham, Maine, home.

“They keep me busy,” she said.

On occasion, they come into work with their mom. “The girls that work here take them around and hang out with them. They’ll go downstairs and play pool or ping pong [in the game room],” she said.

Safford has made close personal connections to students and faculty, particularly a number of her 22 student coworkers. It is hard for her to see them graduate each year, but former coworkers often come back to visit her at The Café.

Safford is a big fan of Bowdoin’s athletic teams and often sports crew and softball gear while on the job.

“You see people every day. If I don’t know you by name I pretty much know what you drink or eat. So sometimes I’ll have your order ready,” Safford said.

Mornings at The Café begin at 6 a.m., and work begins the second Safford arrives. She starts by bringing out the canisters of hot coffee, and then prepares the iced coffee. The staff freezes large cubes of iced coffee inside recycled containers, and then pours hot coffee on top to ensure that it’s cooled down and ready to be served.

Safford said she notices spikes in the demand for certain drinks as the seasons change. As students begin donning shorts and lounging on the Quad toward the end of the year, iced coffee becomes particularly popular. This past Monday—a notably warm day—was no exception.

“We ran out!” she said.

Safford’s Café favorites, though, are the iced mochas and fresh pastries.