Let's Speed Things Up a Bit!

    Have you ever been in line at a coffee shop, eagerly waiting for the barista behind the counter to take your order and get you your delicious caffeinated beverage, but the line just doesn't seem to be moving. You look towards the front of the line only to see somebody asking the barista what each and every drink consists of, and what the difference is between a latte and a cappuccino. When it is early in the morning and you need to get your caffeine, being stuck in this situation can be one of the most irritating times of your life. For those of you who often find yourselves being at the root of this problem (i.e. the confused customer), please read the following tips on how to order at a coffee shop.

Tip 1: Know what you want before you get to the front.

    Instead of just sitting there on your phone while you're in line, use the time to think of what you want. If you are not familiar with ordering coffee or you don't know the menu at this particular coffee shop, look up at the menu while you're in line. I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone get to the front of the line after spending the last five minutes on their phone, and they are completely clueless as to what they want.

Tip 2: Keep it simple.

    If you aren't experienced when it comes to ordering coffee, don't make things more complicated than they need to be. Trust me, rehearsing your complicated order over and over in your mind will not make you sound like some sort of espresso expert. Doing this increases the chance that the barista will not understand part of your order and most likely mess it up.

Tip 3: Stick to the basics.

    When ordering at a coffee shop that you're unfamiliar with, stick to a generic coffee menu. I guarantee that almost every coffee place has the same major items: latte, cappuccino, mocha, macchiato, and americano, or black coffee. If you order your drink based on one of these major beverages and avoid using coffee slang, your order will probably come out the way you expected it to.

    If you follow these three major steps while ordering your next coffee, you may find that you not only get your drink sooner, but you also help others by allowing them to order. If you know somebody that could use help in ordering their coffee, please tell them these steps or have them read it themselves.

HB