A Barista Moment

Caffeine and sugar are a huge part of people’s lives. It wakes us up, gets us going and plus it tastes good and you can change it to fit your preferences.

Some people go to the store, buy the basic necessities and call it good and buy the good ole’ coffee Keurig or some other coffee machine. 

But a lot of people, normally pre-teens/teenagers being young adults, go to coffee stands. The most popular coffee stand being Starbucks and Dutch Bros

In Idaho, Jitters is also a well known coffee stand because of their service and their fun menu options. When people go to coffee shops they expect a lot of things, good coffee, good price, good service, etc. But just like other people, baristas want to be treated with respect the same way they would respect their customer and sometimes things don’t always work out.

Stephanie Harris, a mom and business owner of Ground Up Coffee in Sagel, Idaho, has had many different experiences. On Tuesday May 11, 2021 she was serving two girls that had come through the drive through. After they had paid and Mrs. Harris finished making the drinks, the driver sadly squeezed too hard on her cup causing it to spill all over her.

This made the driver upset and she stated, “It’s all over me, it wouldn’t be if you hadn’t filled the cup so full.” This sent shock through Mrs. Harris’s body and she immediately tried to help her and comfort her by offering to make the drivers drink free.

Not too long later, the returning customers had come to get their regular order and complemented Mrs. Harris’s coffee and her barista’s.

It doesn’t take much to change someone’s day, but what the lady said about the cup being too full is a bit odd. If the cup was too full, and was grabbed wrong it would spill, but if the cup wasn’t filled up they would’ve complained about paying for something that wasn’t entirely there.

It’s arguably true that coffee stands are quite expensive especially when or if you tip your barista. For example, say you and a friend buy two drinks, without tipping, that can add up to nearly eight dollars and with tip could be close to ten. But that also depends on the coffee stand.

As a barista, we try to fit your needs as best as we can. Some days are better than others and some are worse, but no barista should ever take their day out on you and you should never take your day out on them. This is one reason why Starbucks is so popular, because normally, they are all extremely friendly and happy or at least act that way.