Photo by Taryn Elliott

By Sharon Schweitzer

How would we kick start our days without our baristas? The superstars who create our customized coffees and lattes. In honor of National Coffee Day, September 29, 2022, we asked our local baristas to share their wisdom for how you make your coffee house experience a breeze. Shining a light on modern manners and answering your unasked questions, here are their tips:

  1. Be ready to order: Make your decision before you reach the counter. Unsure? Allow the person behind you to go ahead while you decide. Most customers know their order, and the baristas are in ‘the zone’ during morning rush.
  2. Preorder on the App: Order online or on the App when possible. Have your credit card or payment ready. Cash transactions are discouraged.
  3. Customized orders:  When ordering special coffees, speak clearly so the barista can hear your order accurately. When making a correction, be polite. 
  4. Large to-go orders: With large orders, understand that customers who arrive after you do, may receive their orders before you receive yours. Baristas begin and complete an entire order before starting on another order – be patient. 
  5. Mobile phones: When it is your turn to order, stay off the mobile phone. It is difficult for the barista to understand your request if two conversations are occurring simultaneously.
  6. Courteous Small Talk: It is a pleasure to get to know your local baristas. Just be mindful of their time, especially if there is a line behind you. Keep the pleasantries to a minimum so the service is continuous.
  7. Beverage confirmation: Allow space for others to collect their beverages. When your order is ready, before touching the cup, confirm it is indeed yours by reading the cup name.
  8. Spills: If you spill coffee, wipe the liquid with a napkin or alert the barista. Bumping into black coffee on the counter edge is an unpleasant start to the day.

In Austin, we enjoy our local coffee shops like Joe’s or Mozart’s, where the sweets and Lake Austin view are as cherished as the artful coffee designs. What is your favorite local coffee house? Let us know so we can explore when we are in the area.

Sharon Schweitzer, J.D., is a diversity and inclusion consultant, cross-cultural trainer, etiquette expert, and the founder of Access to Culture. In addition to her accreditation in intercultural management from the HOFSTEDE Centre, she is an attorney and mediator. Her Amazon #1 Best Selling book in International Business, Access to Asia, won a coveted Kirkus Star, and was named to Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books. She’s a winner of numerous awards, including the British Airways International Trade Award at the Greater Austin Business Awards.

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