The pipeline from being a regular at a coffee shop to having your own regulars as a barista is real.

In one of my first blog posts, I wrote about the pride I felt in being a regular at a local coffee shop. Now that I am a barista with regulars of my own, that pride is even stronger. 

In just under three months as a barista, I have quickly learned just how much regulars impact your day. When the same people come to buy a coffee from me on a consistent basis, I know I must be doing something right! I mean, I would think if I seriously messed up their coffee order, they wouldn’t be coming back time and time again. 

Side note: I got my first complaint in the form of a negative Google review. Someone said I make my hot drinks “lukewarm at best.” It hurt my heart a little, but I am trying to be brave about it.

There is just something so rewarding about seeing the same smiling faces while I’m working behind the counter. For example, there’s one regular who comes in every single day at the exact same time and orders a hot mocha with whole milk and whipped cream. I have never worked a morning shift where he didn’t stop by. One day, he was late, and I genuinely got worried. I seriously considered calling the police to ask for a welfare check.

One of my favorite things about having regulars who stop by consistently is learning their lore piece by piece. Recently, I learned that one of my regulars is dating another, and every time the guy comes in to order, he is actually taking the iced caramel latte with an extra shot, whole milk, and whipped cream to the girl before she goes to work. I think that is like the cutest thing ever, and I am so honored to play a small role in their love story.

Now, some of my regulars are less tame than that, but that almost makes me more excited to serve them. There’s a group of bus drivers who will all come in at the same time and take turns ordering their favorite drinks from me. While I work on their orders, I get to hear all the crazy stories from the life of a school bus driver. They also all love to pick on one another, which always makes for a very interesting and entertaining morning. I love seeing this gang walk through the doors. (Although one of them totally thought my name was Max, and I had to tell his bus driver bestie to get him to start calling me the right name.)

Going from in front of the counter to behind the bar has really changed my perspective on things. I now understand how truly exciting it is to see a smiling friend on a slow day, or a familiar face in the middle of a rush. 

So here’s to all the regulars! You make my shifts so much brighter, even if you order a frozen drink.