Jim Curtis

How a family tradition turned into a 25-year career

NDSU Dining is well-known for our delicious, homemade baked goods. The scotcharoo bars are famous, the breads are heavenly, and the dining center desserts are simply perfection. NDSU Dining Lead Baker, Jim Curtis, has had a hand in it all.

Baking played a huge role in Curtis’ upbringing. His grandmother was an avid baker and restaurant owner at the Dutch Maid in Fargo. She passed down her love for baking to Curtis’ father. And from there, he passed it on to his own son, Curtis. “I didn’t bake with her at the restaurant, but when we were at home we baked together as a family with my dad,” Curtis said.

With a long family history, it was only natural for Curtis to gravitate towards baking. After graduating high school, Curtis decided to attend baking school through the Clearfield Job Corp located in Ogden, Utah. He then started working at the historic Leeby’s Grocery in 1985, where Zanbroz is currently located in downtown Fargo. Curtis also worked in the bakery at the Northport Hornbacher’s, where he first started working early morning baker’s hours. Today, Curtis starts his day at 1:45 a.m. in the Dining bakery.

After 25 years at NDSU Dining, Curtis says his favorite part of his job is being able to see the finished product almost immediately. “When you see the end results, you can tell right away if it’s good or not,” he said. He also finds it rewarding to know that students and faculty love the products that he puts a lot of hard work into.

Curtis also shared that NDSU Dining stands out in the food service industry for two very important reasons. Curtis stated, “NDSU is one of the few places in food service where you can have a set Monday through Friday schedule, and that’s one of the main reasons why I chose to come here. Also, the benefits are great.”