My first day post-training was a day that I was very excited and nervous about. With my cheat sheet tucked into my freshly washed green apron, my hair tied back and my non-slip shoes on, I was ready to make the best drinks possible at one of the busiest Starbucks in the Twin Cities, in the heart of the University of Minnesota. As a new barista, I have already noticed the different kinds of drinks similar people order. Here are some of the most commonly ordered drinks and who I think they would be as a person:
1. Iced Americano
A med student in scrubs, always extremely tired, needs cheap caffeine to get through summer residency. Enjoys hiking on the weekends and does Alchemy or Orange Theory when they want to "splurge on themselves" and spend a little extra money.
2. Cotton Candy Frappuccino
A middle school girl who is on a college campus for the first time with all of her #besties for a volleyball camp. Makes musical.ly videos with her team after practice and begs her parents for neon spandex just to look cool in practice.
3. Iced Soy Vanilla Latte
A sorority girl on her way to a meeting for her social media internship. A girl with a matching Instagram feed, only posts at 9:30 p.m. after having planned the post for some seven hours, is secretly hung up on Brad from formal last school year and bid day is her favorite holiday.
4. Non-Fat White Chocolate Mocha, No Whip
A mom on campus for the first time with her soon-to-be college son for orientation, makes Flipagram videos of her weekend trip to the Cities with her kids to prove that they do actually enjoy spending time with her and already has three bedazzled game day shirts for when she visits her son at school.
5. Double Espresso Shot on Ice
A busy law student who doesn't have time to sip on coffee, just needs to stay caffeinated. Has nightmares about the Bar Exam and is hoping to make it big by becoming the next Judge Judy. (Because they'll need that salary to pay off Law School.)
Growing up, going to Starbucks was the "cool thing" to do in my hometown. I started off with the classic Vanilla Bean Frappuccino and have grown more adventurous since then. As I slowly became the girl going to volleyball camp, the student who just needs a dose of caffeine and the crazy busy girl in a sorority, my Starbucks order has always, in some way, matched my personality (this could be an entire conspiracy the more I think about it). Somehow the beloved drinks that Starbucks offers have obtained their own personalities that a lot of customers can probably relate to. Personally, as a barista, I love to hear all of the crazy drinks that people come up with to order (I could make that an entirely separate article) and secretly memorize the order to try it on my own. However, at the end of the day, my personality always seems to fit right into the Iced Soy Vanilla Latte gang of us out there.
