The first-ish employee of a new coffee shop is always either the best in the coffee business or completely terrible. I don’t know which one you got but it sounds like he got the best customer.
Inspiration is a funny thing. Often comes from the most unpredictable places. I'm curious about what I'd do in such a situation. Probably I'd find the solution to the leaking cup in my backpack, and I'd put some band-aids on this tiny hole 🤔🩹☕️ And this poor barista guy... I think you might have been one of a few people who acted that calmly.
Not exactly on the topic of coffee itself, but coffee shops. I'm not any big fan of Starbucks, but I find the little mom & pop coffeeshops equally disappointing. They are often quite sad places. Like, you can just tell they don't quite have it together when it comes to marketing or interior decoration. This makes me sound like a real jerk, but don't worry, I am about to take it a lot further than that. "Local" shops often have subpar artwork on the walls by local photographers and painters. Varying levels of objective quality, but even at the higher end you know this person is deeply passionate, but probably never going to "quit their day job." And it's always for sale. I always thought it would be an especially sinister social experiment to go into local coffee shops and buy ALL OF THE ART by one of these artists. Ten sub-par paintings? I'll take them all. The artist would go nuts with optimism and self worth, and then slowly devolve into a spiral of confusion as to why nobody ever bought any thing else after they sold their entire collection in one shot. This is to say nothing of the temporary havoc wreaked on the simple coffee shop that suddenly has an awkwardly blank wall until they can figure out their unexpected interior decoration problem.
I don't drink coffee, but I take my tea with two milks and two sugars. I've never read a Philip K Dick novel. I don't go to cafes very often, and they weren't memorable. And I'm not sure about non-dairy milks....
When my dad ordered from a drive-up coffee place once, he asked for "a couple of napkins" (granted my dad has a Texas/Arkansas twang) but ... really!?! The employee replied, "Do you want a lid with that?" My dad didn't know how to respond to that and proceeded to the window. Along with his coffee, he was handed a CUP of napkins. This is now a family classic Dad story!
Wooo thanks for the shoutout! Man, the cup-with-a-hole-thing made me laugh and laugh. People!!! I am pretty sure that that the owner must subconciously want his business to fail. It is so bonkers.
With something white (preferably from a cow) and something sweet (whatever kind). And iced coffee is my preferred way which is probably why I don't drink coffee that much and get my caffeine from diet sodas.
What’s your favorite Philip K. Dick novel?
Too long since I read them. Best I recall was, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and I liked the book better than the original Blade Runner. Never saw the remake.
What’s something a barista said that you’ll never forget?
What would you like?
Should alternative milks be called milk, or is the alternative milk movement just a marketing scheme that’s gone too far?
It went too far when they came up with Non-Dairy Creamer. No way to change it now.
As astute and delightfully bonkers as always, Michael, but your comment about the IRS was so funny -- I would PAY for a subscription to Situation Normal based on that one comment alone. I love the way your head works. Sharron at LEAVES.
Apr 10, 2022·edited Apr 10, 2022Liked by Michael Estrin
Fun story. I like the back and forth dialogue in the story. Here's my take(s) (no prompt required) -- the dairy industry wants the alternate milks to be referred to as juice as in oat juice...the trend will have gone too far when some firm starts peddling the human variety. If people start eating almond milk cheese all is lost. I assume the Big 3 is Starbucks, Dunkin and Tim Hortons. They are all in the business of selling sweet cakes and washing it down with coffee. You need the most sides at Starbucks as the coffee is so strong and dare I say bitter. I am partial to Caribou and Peet's when available. The Peet's Coffee story is awesome as the owner was altruistic from the beginning and is largely responsible for better beans used by everyone. (This reply was done under the influence of tea)
The first-ish employee of a new coffee shop is always either the best in the coffee business or completely terrible. I don’t know which one you got but it sounds like he got the best customer.
Enjoy your coffee whenever you can get it.
Inspiration is a funny thing. Often comes from the most unpredictable places. I'm curious about what I'd do in such a situation. Probably I'd find the solution to the leaking cup in my backpack, and I'd put some band-aids on this tiny hole 🤔🩹☕️ And this poor barista guy... I think you might have been one of a few people who acted that calmly.
You don't have the only Phillip K. Dick reference this week
Check out the cartoon for 4/13 on https://www.smbc-comics.com/
Not exactly on the topic of coffee itself, but coffee shops. I'm not any big fan of Starbucks, but I find the little mom & pop coffeeshops equally disappointing. They are often quite sad places. Like, you can just tell they don't quite have it together when it comes to marketing or interior decoration. This makes me sound like a real jerk, but don't worry, I am about to take it a lot further than that. "Local" shops often have subpar artwork on the walls by local photographers and painters. Varying levels of objective quality, but even at the higher end you know this person is deeply passionate, but probably never going to "quit their day job." And it's always for sale. I always thought it would be an especially sinister social experiment to go into local coffee shops and buy ALL OF THE ART by one of these artists. Ten sub-par paintings? I'll take them all. The artist would go nuts with optimism and self worth, and then slowly devolve into a spiral of confusion as to why nobody ever bought any thing else after they sold their entire collection in one shot. This is to say nothing of the temporary havoc wreaked on the simple coffee shop that suddenly has an awkwardly blank wall until they can figure out their unexpected interior decoration problem.
I don't drink coffee, but I take my tea with two milks and two sugars. I've never read a Philip K Dick novel. I don't go to cafes very often, and they weren't memorable. And I'm not sure about non-dairy milks....
When my dad ordered from a drive-up coffee place once, he asked for "a couple of napkins" (granted my dad has a Texas/Arkansas twang) but ... really!?! The employee replied, "Do you want a lid with that?" My dad didn't know how to respond to that and proceeded to the window. Along with his coffee, he was handed a CUP of napkins. This is now a family classic Dad story!
Wooo thanks for the shoutout! Man, the cup-with-a-hole-thing made me laugh and laugh. People!!! I am pretty sure that that the owner must subconciously want his business to fail. It is so bonkers.
OK, I'll be prompted
How do you take your coffee?
With something white (preferably from a cow) and something sweet (whatever kind). And iced coffee is my preferred way which is probably why I don't drink coffee that much and get my caffeine from diet sodas.
What’s your favorite Philip K. Dick novel?
Too long since I read them. Best I recall was, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and I liked the book better than the original Blade Runner. Never saw the remake.
What’s something a barista said that you’ll never forget?
What would you like?
Should alternative milks be called milk, or is the alternative milk movement just a marketing scheme that’s gone too far?
It went too far when they came up with Non-Dairy Creamer. No way to change it now.
As astute and delightfully bonkers as always, Michael, but your comment about the IRS was so funny -- I would PAY for a subscription to Situation Normal based on that one comment alone. I love the way your head works. Sharron at LEAVES.
Fun story. I like the back and forth dialogue in the story. Here's my take(s) (no prompt required) -- the dairy industry wants the alternate milks to be referred to as juice as in oat juice...the trend will have gone too far when some firm starts peddling the human variety. If people start eating almond milk cheese all is lost. I assume the Big 3 is Starbucks, Dunkin and Tim Hortons. They are all in the business of selling sweet cakes and washing it down with coffee. You need the most sides at Starbucks as the coffee is so strong and dare I say bitter. I am partial to Caribou and Peet's when available. The Peet's Coffee story is awesome as the owner was altruistic from the beginning and is largely responsible for better beans used by everyone. (This reply was done under the influence of tea)
4 - marketing scheme. I can get behind coconut milk, but milk from nuts seems quite odd
If the leak wasn’t too bad, maybe a sticker would’ve held the coffee in.