Specialty Coffee Retailer is a publication for owners, managers and employees of retail outlets that sell specialty coffee. Its scope includes best sales practices, supplies, business trends and anything else to assist the small coffee retailer.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/121095
JACK���S BLEND Server gets too nosy��� literally L by Jack Groot And we weren���t at a restaurant; we were at a coffee shop. And et me tell you a story. Not too long ago my wife and I went out for a nice we didn���t order food; we ordered various coffee beverages. dinner. We went to a restaurant we had heard quite a bit Beyond that I recreated the experience as closely as possible about, but had not yet visited. The reputation of this place to prove my point. Yes, we were at a place we had not been to before���a place preceded it; one of cutting edge culinary expertise, a trendy and cool place where those looking for a great meal are sure known for being cool and trendy, where one could get an excellent espresso or coffee beverage. Yes, the atmosphere was to be satisfied. When we arrived the hostess greeted us in a friendly tone. as I described and the staff was friendly and engaging. Yes, the We noticed the staff, busy and purposeful, and felt comfortable customers waiting for drinks and waiting in line seemed to be from the moment we arrived. The restaurant is small and it regulars, or at least comfortable being there. Everything about was very busy. We noticed how many of the customers seemed it fit what I expected, until the smelling faux pas happened. After making the shot of espresso, the barista brought it genuinely connected to this place���regulars, if you will. And although the reputation of this restaurant was one of culinary directly up to his nose and sniffed it. He then sniffed it again excellence, I would describe the atmosphere as historic, a bit and pronounced his pleasure, agreeing that the customer, my friend, had indeed ordered something wonderful with, ���citrus eclectic and well aged. The waiter arrived and we placed our order. While waiting notes and an earthy, fruit aroma���not unlike cherry pie.��� for our food to arrive we enjoyed people-watching, the cozy Something he let us know he also enjoyed. Even if you ask me, I won���t tell you where we were. My point atmosphere and each other. It was fun to be in a place filled with ���regulars,��� an attentive and engaged staff, and in that is not about the coffee shop; it is about the experience. An experience when shown in a different scenario will hopefully moment, all was right with the world. A few minutes later the waiter headed our way with tray be seen by all to be the faux pas that it is. I have seen my own baristas do this. But I have only at shoulder. He carefully opened the tray caddy and set the loaded tray on it. It was time for expectations to be met, seen them do it with each other, sharing information and discussing a particular coffee. But, just to make sure, I had appetites to be satiated. The waiter proceeded to lift my wife���s plate to set it in front my manager send out an e-mail to all employees outlining the of her. But, and this is where my story takes a turn, instead of cruel and sadistic punishment awaiting them were they found going immediately from tray to table he detoured the plate doing such a thing to a customer (it had something to do with to his own face���right up to his nose. Eyes half-masted, he restricting their free coffee benefit). I hope the barista who did this reads this column and smelled the food on the plate. Smiling, he inhaled again, plate and nose inches from each other. As the plate moved sees the practice through a different lens. And I hope that all toward the table the waiter said, ���That steak smells fabulous. coffee shops, even those known for cutting-edge coffees, use I can detect the pepper and garlic notes from the preparation proper foodservice etiquette in their customer relations. And I method. The natural charcoal grilling enhances the searing hope I never see a barista shove his nose in an espresso before process and this aged Angus is certainly the most aromatic handing it off to a customer again. I still have nightmares. SCR of meats available. I know you are going to really enjoy this! I know I love it.��� What the heck? Did that shock you as much as it shocked me? I had never experienced this before. How rude, smelling Jack Groot owns JP���s Coffee in Holland, Mich. He also provides coffee my wife���s food, sticking his nose in her plate. How unsanitary, business consulting and training through the Midwest Barista School unprofessional and lacking in proper food service etiquette. I (MBS) and On Track Coffee Consulting. Also, check out Jack���s new blog, was disgusted. ���Jack Groot���s blog ��� confessions of a coffee shop owner��� at www.coffeegroot. Now, don���t get mad at me, but I���m gonna change my story com where you can read more from Jack���s two decades as a coffee shop just a bit. This scenario didn���t happen. At least exactly not in owner and sign up for the MBS newsletter. Jack can be reached at jack@ the way I told it. It wasn���t my wife and I; it was friends and I. jpscoffee.com or 866-321-4MBS. 8