So I recently began working at Starbucks. I’m not a fan of coffee and honestly would never have attempted to work there, but they were hiring and I needed a job so I went with it.
The first 2.5 weeks of working there were miserable. But eventually I got the hang of it all and I can now hold my own. I’ve even been called a rock star several times by my boss for how quick and efficient I am.
Cut to last week. I’m working bar and I have a line of cups and there is a line of customers out the door. I have 2 pitchers of milk steaming, 4 shots of espresso pulling, I’m adding ice to this and whipped cream to that and generally just being a badass. I finally get all of the drinks made and called and am taking a minute to clean up while I await the next rush when a lady comes up to me.
“Um excuse me?”
“Yea?”
“I think you forgot to put the espresso in this.”
Oh my god. I grab the cup from her and sure enough, he latte was espresso-less. Apparently I had handed her a cup of foamy milk. Hahah. In my defense I had probably set it under the espresso machine but forgotten to hit the button. But I should have noticed when I was pouring the milk in. I apologized and remade it and she was totally nice about it, but damn, Katrina.
But it gets better.
The next day I’m working again and this time I’m expediting, which translates to getting people’s orders and running cups so that they can pay and grab their drink and be out of there. It also includes minor things like grabbing pastries and pouring coffee.
So again, line out the door, I’m running around doing all these things and notice we’re running low on one of the coffees. I dump the old grinds and start another batch and go about my business. After a few minutes I end up getting pulled onto bar so I jump over there and begin making drinks when the girl running the register comes over to me holding a steaming brew basket.
“Did you brew more Pike?”
“Yea, I put it on a couple of minutes ago.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yea?”
And then she shows me the basket. Which is steaming, but empty.
I brewed coffee, without the coffee.
I put the filter in, then put the basket back, hit brew and walked away. Meaning I not only didn’t make any coffee, I ruined whatever was left in the urn as the brewer added a batch’s worth of hot water. Sans grounds.
WHO DOES THAT?
Hilariously enough the probably 5 people who were served watered down coffee before the girl realized? Never came back. Never complained. And I find that even more hilarious.
cupcake supremacy 
$3+ java watered down and they didn’t notice? that is pretty good! haha.
haha I know. further proof that people have no idea what they’re paying for.
I mean, a cup of coffee is still (generally) less than $2, even at Starbucks. By the time I’d notice something like that – namely because the coffee is typically too hot to drink for awhile anyway, I’d be long gone… and would likely retroactively complain (which would result in a free coffee, but later).
That semi-rant aside, (and this probably shouldn’t be posted as a reply, but whatever), wait until you make much more glorious mistakes. Brewing coffee without the urn properly on (and thus brewing it allover the counter) is pretty fun, messy and embarrassing. I’ve done fraps without ice and lattes without espresso before. It reached a point where I couldn’t help but laugh it off – you’ll get there soon enough!
some kid has brewed coffee 3 times with the spout down resulting in the great flood, the great flood 2, and the great flood 3. i’m so glad i’m not him.
haha i’m already at that point, i think it’s hilarious. i made a vivanno yesterday without the lid on the blender. hooray!
if only you had this blog back in the VS days.. you could have written about your old man at ross park
hahaha omg I’m totally writing about that.