#Baristaproblems
Whether it’s iced, decaf, blended or with an extra shot, the struggle is very real
Story by Jennifer Sandy
I know you. You may not give me much thought, you may not even recognize me out of my coffeehouse uniform, but I know you. I give you your coffee, make you your lattes, and hand you your pastries every morning as you hurriedly dash off to work, school or other obligations.
I am your barista.
Being a barista is often thought of as “fun” and “trendy,” but that isn’t always the case. I’ve been a barista at a chain coffeehouse (coughcoughNOTSTARBUCKScoughcough) for nearly two years now, and I am here to give you a glimpse into the sometimes not so glamorous, and often extremely annoying world of baristas, and the struggles my fellow coffee slingers and I face on a daily basis.
Here are 10 of the most bothersome #baristaproblems .
1. When customers order a cappuccino thinking it’s the same as a latte.
No. Just no. Read the menu, please. They are very different. A cappuccino is mostly foam and a little bit of milk, a latte is a lot of milk and a little bit of foam. Got it? Good.
2. Drinks with 15 million ridiculous modifications.
A half a shot? Really? Can you really taste the difference between that and a full shot? I’m 99.9 percent positive that you can’t, because I guarantee you’ve never gotten a half a shot in your latte, especially if you decide to make it extra difficult to make by asking for it blended, upside down, with no sugar and blessed by a unicorn.
3. When you run out of drip coffee in the middle of the morning rush.
This one’s kind of self explanatory. Coffeehouse-coffee= a lot of upset customers who are now late for work.
4. Everything you own smells vaguely of espresso.
Seriously, everything. The inside of your car, clothes you’ve never even worn to work, your bedroom, your bedsheets, your hair, the inside of your purse. Honestly, why do my TOMs that I’ve never even worn to work smell of coffee? Probably because they’ve been contaminated by my work shoes in my closet. No amount of washing or showering will ever get rid of the smell.
5. You’ve become even more of a caffeine addict than you were before you donned your apron.
Before I became a barista I never even drank coffee. Now I can down straight espresso shots like they’re water. #HARDCORE
6. Having the writing of a 5-year-old.
I’m 24-years-old, but my handwriting looks like I just learned how to write yesterday. I can definitely see how this could be a major problem for Starbucks employees. We don’t write on the cups at the particular chain I work for, but we do write the daily drip coffee choices on a chalkboard. I once had man ask me who wrote the specials this morning because it looked like someone’s toddler had done it….Sir, that was me. I’m the toddler.
7. Wiping down all the tables in the lobby and having them get dirty again .2 seconds later.
Why do I even bother?
8. Becoming so accustomed to your coffeehouse’s coffee that the coffee anywhere else just won’t do.
I used to love Starbucks lattes before I became a barista. Now lattes from anywhere else other than where I work just taste subpar, which sucks because Starbucks is like that annoying ex that won’t leave you alone. It’s literally everywhere and it would be so easy to just make a trip through the drive-thru again. Just to see how they’re doing without you.
9. All your friends and family expect you to bring them free coffee.
I’ll bring you a drink every once in awhile, but it’s only when I want to. You’re not entitled to free stuff anymore than anyone else.
10. Feeling like you stock everything a million times during your shift, only to have to stock everything once more before you clock out.
Cups, ice, java jackets, mixes, powders, coffee beans, coffee, tea, pastries — honestly the list of things that constantly need to be stocked never ends. Just when you think you’ve finished and EVERYTHING is stocked, you find out you missed something. Then by the time you’ve stocked that, everything else needs to be stocked again.
So basically, don’t be a dick to your barista. We are ultimately the dealer, who keeps you from having caffeine withdrawals.
