Things are going pretty well at work. I really enjoy the atmosphere. The storefront is a tiny cafe with four tables, some fresh baked goods and several thermoses of coffee from which to choose. The Barista likes to experiment with flavours and drinks and I have volunteered to be her official taste tester. The cafe is open Monday to Saturday from 6 am - 6 pm. People come and go throughout the day and I'm starting to know the regulars.
There's one fellow who comes in to enjoy a coffee while he sits in the chair in the corner and reads the paper. There's another fellow who comes in two times each day and orders a coffee concoction that costs about $5.00 a pop. (That's $10 a day in coffee! As far as cost is concerned, that rivals a nicotine habit.) There's another guy who comes in once or twice a day and pretends to be crabby, but he's really very nice and he likes to be teased almost as much as he enjoys dishing it out.
Behind the storefront are the offices, a large roaster and a workroom for the coffee wholesale business. From Monday through Thursday, the air is rich with the smell of roasting coffee. There's nothing like it. Everything I wear to work on those days smells like roasted coffee and so does my hair. I really like it. It's one of my favourite smells -- it's the smell of coffee when you first open a can. Apparently there are small roasters that you can buy for home use; it's becoming more popular these days. We sell green coffee beans to people who want to roast their own coffee.
One benefit of working at the coffee house is free coffee. I took some ground decaf for hubby to try. He liked it. I think, in fact, that he now prefers it to any other brand. I used to be a loyal Tim Horton's patron before joining Equator Coffee. I used to get one extra large regular Timmy's every morning on my way to work. Now, I brew a pot before I leave home; two or three cups gets me ready for the drive to work. Once at work, I have one or two cups of coffee. I start with a bold, and end with a smooth or medium roast. Sometimes I add a flavour shot, sometimes I don't. Most days I try to avoid caffeine after 11 a.m.
Last week, for Valentine's day, I thought it would be nice to get up early, drive to Tim Horton's and treat hubby to a hot coffee. I got myself one as well. About a quarter of the way through my extra large regular, I realized that I had lost my taste for Tim Horton's. I found it watery compared to what I consume at work. It was then I realized I had converted. I am officially off the Timmy's. (For those non-Canadians out there, Tim Horton's is the Canadian version of Starbucks -- though we have those too.)
The girl who operates the order desk for the wholesale operations has taken another job. I officially took over the order desk today. If it's too much to handle with my office duties, the owners will look for another person to take the orders. That said, I thought today went pretty well and I expect I'll be able to do both as long as all the customers keep to the order schedule.
My part-time job is slowly growing into an almost full-time job. Funny, but as long as my "regular" hours stay part-time and I am left with the option of working or not working the extra hours, I find I am most happy. It's kind of silly...especially since I stay until the work is done. It's kind of like working full time but committing to part time work. In the end, it's not the hours that put me off, it's the commitment. Like I said in my interview, flexibility is the feature I value most in a job. I guess that's just my way of keeping things flexible.
I'll try to get some pics for a future post. If you like coffee, you may find them interesting.
4 comments:
I love the smell of coffee brewing, but don't like the taste of it in anything. Here in Rhode Island, there this thing called coffee milk. It's like chocolate milk, but with coffee syrup instead. YUCK!
Tim Horton's is trying their best to invade Rhode Island. However, Dunkin Donuts will always be the favorite around here. It's ridiculous as to how many Dunkin Donuts there are in this tiny tiny state.
I am glad you like your job.
I enjoyed this post. I went to a Starbucks with a friend in Seattle a long time ago, before they were a household word. I didn't get it then and I still don't to some degree. I thought it was a cultural thing unique to Seattle. But one guy sold the culture well. They were recently going to open a Starbucks in China's Forbidden City. But someone put their foot down. They do have a foot in the door however.
Coffee milk? Funny. How many coffee drinkers have you seen take a mouthful of cold coffee and then turn up their nose? Who would have thought that chilled coffee beverages would be so popular.
Glad you liked the post Don. I'll see if I can get some pictures of the roaster & beans. It's pretty neat.
I have soooo much to learn. My experience with coffee to date has been like my relationship with art...you know, "I may not know coffee, but I know what I like."
As if that's not enough - you should see the tea!!! White tea, black tea, loose tea, concentrate, dried...whew!
I love being on this side of the learning curve though. Very interesting being exposed to new ideas and products.
Freshly roasted coffee is the best! I know of a cafe that roasts their own beans, and it's exactly as you say! Unfortunately for me, it's also 30 miles out of my way. Oh well. Maybe I'll have to get my own roaster if I can't find another cafe around here. (You'd think there would be more of them)
That twice-a-day guy, he might also be supporting his habit at another cafe, meaning that he could be spending more than $10, plus tip. When I was a barista I used to make venti (20 oz.) caramel lattes for this guy, one after another. He would drink at least three of them a day. Then he would curl up in a corner (actually, just out in the open) of the seating area and take a nap.
I used to really like sweeter drinks, but my palatte must have changed since I left college. I still like my vanilla lattes, but I rarely get something over a tall (12 oz). You can order a short (8 oz) at Starbucks, it's actually a better deal (Look up the argument on Slate) even though it's not advertised and it's all anyone really needs.
If you want to try something new (it's kind of sweet), I used to like vanilla lattes with a dab of whipped cream and caramel syrup (not the flavored kind, more like the "topping" syrup). I like almond steamers too, but haven't braved getting an almond flavored coffee yet.
My favorite indulgence is a cup of coffee on a weekend morning with a bit of sugar and a shot of Bailey's.
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