Thoughts of a barista

It has been a WHIRLWIND of a month. And it has been too long since I’ve written a post, and I’ve truly missed writing. In the past month alone I have learned so much & grown more than I imagined I could. One piece of exciting news is that a few weeks ago I was hired on as a barista at a Café in Shockoe Slip. The Urban Farmhouse is a corner shop with wide open windows, wooden floors, warm brick walls & a welcoming atmosphere. And I absolutely love working there.

At first I just wanted to find a job to pass the time & make money apart from my internship. Then I thought, I might as well go for something I’ve never done before, something I’m passionate about. Applications ended up going to bookstores & coffee shops. And Urban took a chance on me: I told them flat out that I’d never worked a day in the food service. Their response: everyone needs to start somewhere. A week later I was training on the floor, being thrown into the fast-paced world of a Café at full-swing. I’m always on my feet, constantly greeting people & taking orders, running to make drinks & getting food prepped in a timely manner, and cleaning up where I need to– and repeating the whole thing over & over again. This job has been everything I ever wanted, and didn’t know I needed.

And in the short time I’ve been working, I have a list of thoughts on being a barista:

Thought 1: My co-workers are all very different. They are all so unique. At first I was a little worried that personalities would clash, or I wouldn’t get along with someone, but all of them have been welcoming, helpful & so much fun since day 1. I have come to absolutely love their personalities, their quirks, and their differences. I think that when I started loving them for who they are, I started learning from them. Serene is always smiling & has a very warm motherly aura to her. Laurel is soft-spoken & level-headed. Gabbi is a total bad-ass. Lauren has a strong confidence. Cailin is super spunky. Yididya sees the fun in everything & always wants to dance. And the list goes on. Each shift is different due to the mix of personalities, and each individual adds to the unique atmosphere of the Café.

Thought 2: Last weekend I was working Front of House as I usually like to do, and I was kicking butt– my orders were flawless, I was pulling espresso shots like a pro, and I was totally on top of my game. Even Lauren, the manager, noted how well I was doing. I felt unbelievably good. I was finally getting the hang of things. However, the next day was a complete 180: I was messing up simple things, making totally avoidable mistakes all shift long. It was embarrassing & my confidence took a real hit. I went home & cried. The next shift, I knew I needed to step it up again, but I realized that I was too nervous about making mistakes that I got in my own way. I decided then that I needed to turn my mindset around: making mistakes is part of the learning process, and taking them with a grain of salt is all I can do. Without failure, you can’t grow. The shift after that, I was back on top of my game.

Thought 3: This leads me to my next thought– Attitude is everything. Serene was definitely an influencer here. From my first day forward, she showed me that a smile is the best thing to wear, especially when greeting customers (and ESPECIALLY customers who come in first thing in the morning, and you’re their first interaction of the day). First impressions matter, especially when representing an establishment where you want customers to return. And even with my little hiccup of making one mistake after the other, Serene told me that it’s normal. Another co-worker, Megan (who’s a total babe & I adore her), told me that she went through the same thing: when you finally get comfortable, you start making mistakes. It was so reassuring to hear that I wasn’t the only one. I started reminding myself that every day is a new day; every shift I start is a new shift. If I keep a positive mindset, it will dominate the way I tackle each task: from steaming milk to taking orders to running the register.

Thought 4: I knew what I signed up for when I took this job. It’s not a solely barista job; it’s a Café, so there is food involved. And at the end of the day, you bet there are a ton of dishes to do. I never was one to feel entitled, and I’m always more than willing to do the work that needs to get done: the dirty, grunt work. But I just do it. I know my work doesn’t go unnoticed & my co-workers deeply appreciate that I jump right in & can help with anything. It’s nasty, gross work, but the goal should be to create the best possible experience for all people involved.

Thought 5: My passion for coffee definitely fuels my ambition to improve my skills of making specialty espresso drinks for customers. And whipping up drinks is immensely fun for me. But let me just say that baristas make it look easy! Steaming milk & pulling a shot of espresso is actually much harder than you’d think. There is a science that goes into these espresso drinks: the foam to milk ratio, how long to steam the milk to get it frothy, how large the grinds should be, how slow the pour of the espresso should be once its pressed. But figuring this out has been an immensely fun & rewarding challenge. It’s simple: practice makes perfect!

This became a little longer of a thought ramble than I’d hoped, but like I said, I am elated that this opportunity fell in my lap & that I’ve already learned so much. It’s been a great ride & it’s just getting started.

If you’re ever in the Richmond area, come by the Urban Farmhouse in Shockoe Slip & let me test my latte art skills on you!

Be gentle with yourself, you’re doing the best you can.