Hello all baristas and coffee drinkers,

Recently I had to inform a barista in a popular and busy establishment that they had a booger hanging from their nose and once the booger was located by the barista they attempted to rid it from their face with their arm while looking directly at me as if it their choice of removal was O.K. Even though they washed their hands, the image has become burned in my memory forever. I have no recollection of the coffee because I received amnesia from the experience due to the trauma that assaulted my senses.

A baristas top priority is the quality of their drink and service to the customer. They have complete control of their bar and every opportunity to create top quality service and drinks. Everything baristas do behind the bar directly and indirectly affects the customer. Quality of  a drink and service and the baristas hygiene go hand in hand to create a successful cafe experience. Good experiences only enhance a customers perception of the venue and the quality of the beverage and it’s ingredients. To date, I have not found appreciation for the dirty barista concerned with making latte art. If the barista is filthy and the bar is filthy I won’t have much hope for a great drink.

Tattoos, piercings, and even sandals with or without socks have no negative effect on me when I get my drink. When a barista has a unique personal style it enhances my experience, it gives their establishment an identity and me the feeling of being connected with the coffee culture. On the other hand, a baristas appearance, if not kept clean, can negatively affect a cafe by alienating patrons offended by poor hygiene and dirty bars.

There have been many instances that I have had a drink where a baristas fingers have been soiled by coffee grinds and the drinks were amazing, I have had some baristas give me drinks with fingers that look like they have been working on cars or trucks, admittedly I have drunk these beverages and they were never good, but I could drink them. And now It seems the booger macchiato is becoming the new hipster trend that I will avoid and I hope you will also.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 4th, 2010 at 6:23 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.