This week my temporary store is starting to reopen its cafe. Spoiler alert and PSA: this does not mean people can come in, sit down and go back to life as we once knew it. Our shift managers and store manager have worked hard to ensure the safety of our customers by creating social distancing markers on the floor for the line, building and placing plexiglass shields in front of the registers, and the handoff plane where completed drinks are placed. On top of these measures, we continue to wear masks, sanitize the headsets (to take drive-thru orders), and wash our hands every 30 minutes. What does this mean for baristas and customers? We ask that you please still follow CDC guidelines even though we understand how excited you are to come inside again.

At first, I thought some of these rules were a tad ridiculous, but that's because I didn't know what my fellow partners (employees) were going through by exposing themselves. After being back at work for almost a month, I now have more empathy for each individual situation and I have become a better listener. In times like these, we should put aside our pride and ego and make the right decisions for each other. We wouldn't have a lot of essential and non-essential businesses without these brave people, so please, thank them by doing the right thing.

And lastly, no we don't have any color-changing or confetti cups! I'm sorry, but they sold out pretty much the second we heard about them.