My Barista Job

While being an unpaid intern, it was necessary for me to look for a flexible, low-stress job while I’m living in New York. When I came out to interview, I spent a little bit of time at a local coffee shop getting a bite to eat and picking the barista’s brain about the town. I noticed that they were hiring, so I filled out a presumptuous application and told the manager that I’d be in touch…
Upon getting the internship position, I contacted the café, and was offered a position there (over email, strangely). Having a job lined up before I even moved to the city was an immense relief!

I was really excited to get my hands back on an espresso machine. Once you’ve been trained as intensely as we were by Christopher at Espresso Christoph, it’s often hard to go to another café and watch (or listen to) them make your drink. Being able to make myself a drink was something seriously missed…(for those not in that unique EC family, its fine for you to think I’m a little crazy right now – totally acceptable. For those who are, you understand…)

For starters, the atmosphere of the shop is truly lovely. It is on the second floor, so it has a nice little view of the main street. There are skylights, a couple couches, a variety of tables, and a few seats at the counter. Considering my bedroom here has one small window and a bed as my only seating option, the café is much appreciated by me.



Another nice part is that the coffee is self-serve, so no more asking “would you like room for cream??” Just give them the cup & let them figure it out…

(sorry, not a very exciting image)

Another perk, we only have 3 syrups and 2 sauces! I’m sure the original ECers can remember when we had, what…25 different flavors? more?? It definitely makes cleaning syrup pumps go much quicker. It also makes those ordering a gross flavored latte decide in under 10 seconds (especially since they aren't listed on the menus?).


Unfortunately, our only grinder is similar to the old EC decaf one – meaning, it is much slower, doses off center, and isn’t super consistent. Because of its slowness, the accepted practice here is to let it grind until the chamber is about ½ full and have the espresso sit until you need it…for example, when I opened today, the chamber was about ¼ full of last nights grinds that were intended to get me through the first hour or two of my shift. (Go ahead, ECers, you can cringe).


Our café is responsible for all of the coffee and alcoholic drinks for the restaurant, so I’ve slowly been learning how to bartend. It has been really nice because it allows me to learn without actually having to make drinks right in front of the customer. I’ve definitely had to consult the recipe book a couple of times to teach myself how to make a certain drink…but no complaints so far! Alcohol tends to bring in more tips than coffee, and apparently people in tourist towns tip well, so I’ve made between $15 and $20 during a 5 hour day shift. Not bad when you’re used to a dollar or $2 extra…


Alright…and now the moment of truth…please, ECers, grab a drink, a tissue, a cigarette, whatever you may need to get through this…


Yes, its true…we “proudly” serve Starbucks…
I was surprisingly able to drink it just fine the first few shifts I had. Now, however, I can barely stomach the smell when it is brewing. LUCKILY my manager is great and she had been working on getting a local roastery involved. As of a week or two ago, we serve Starbucks regular, Starbucks decaf, and one Green Mountain brew (local). From what I’ve heard word of mouth, he roasts flavored coffees, but instead of using flavorings or syrups, he will actually throw whole almonds or hazelnuts or cinnamon sticks into the mix. The one we served last week was “Snickerdoodle” (yep…); we also have a Cinnamon-Hazelnut on hand. I chose to brew the Sumatra for my last 2 shifts and it is definitely good. Its not Intelligentsia amazing, but it is much better than Starbucks and its fresh (not as flavorful as a Sumatra should be, but a good cup nonetheless).

Because we serve Starbucks, they insist that we have a certain brand & model espresso machine. Here she is, in all her (pitiful) glory…


Unfortunately, my coffee snob comes out in full force when I talk about this machine. At this café, we are taught to judge the temperature of the milk “according to the sound it makes” instead of thermometers or touch. However, the water pressure in the building is dependent on the kitchen and the dishwasher, so you can’t actually count on a consistent steam. I thankfully revert to my EC ways and rely on touch much more than sound. On top of that, we have one steam wand designated for milk & half and half, the other designated for soy and chai. (hmm…) Also, when i presented my technique with foam, no bubbles, thick but with a glossy sheen, I was told that "people in woodstock prefer bubbly foam."

As far as shots, they have one portafilter for a single shot, one for a double, and one for decaf (single shot only). This means, when you tamp a single shot, you aren’t on an even surface because it only has one spout. Also the tamper is entirely manual, no pressure sensitivity like I’m used to. And now, I have two options, you can choose which one is worse…

A) Our double shots pour at 8 SECONDS.

B) Our decaf espresso comes from PODS.
(I truly never though I would utter that word)

For those with some knowledge, I shot a detail of the “shot timer panel”…

KEY = ½ shot…full shot…2 ½ shots…2 full shots…manual flow (for “cleaning”)

I’m still working out how my morals relate to this concept. We also pour into little silver cups, so you can’t really tell the volume or crema. I miss my clear shot glasses…

To end on a positive note, my coworkers are pretty great. There are only 5 of us that work there and we are generally single-staffed = nice for tips, not great for relationships. We get a free meal after every shift (an amazing perk because the food is ridiculously good!) so I’ve had a little time to chat with each co-worker while I’m eating, but it’s not the quality bonding time I was used to at EC =) Here’s Frank, our lone male employee, super happy to be at work!


It feels good to be back in coffee again...

(as a disclaimer, I decided after writing this post to omit the name of the café…after all, they are currently my only form of income…)