We were the pig in the slaughterhouse, the fish who swallowed the hook, the emperor with no clothes…..and we had to utter the five words that plague all barista’s dreams: We are out of coffee.



You see, Starbucks’ corporate offices recently decided to implement a new brewing strategy that would virtually eliminate all possibility of running out of regular, bold, or decaffeinated coffee. Essentially, the innovation is a bright idea based on a rotation of urns with a new type of coffee… Continue

My beloved caffeine enamored friends, it is time to introduce the chottie, the delectable drink pictured above (which, coincidentally, was quickly consumed by me this morning). The idea of the chottie was born on one of our monthly customer satisfaction reports when we read the comments left by an apparently satisfied customer.



The transcript is recorded as follows:



Question: “What was your favorite thing about this visit… Continue

Matcha, essentially, is powdered green tea. Matcha is very useful for mixing with milk or cream base to make “delicious” lattes and frappuccinos. However, what happens when BaristaJim is subjected to this fluffy, green substance? He gets sick. Very sick. I’m not talking about a little sniff here, a little sniff there. I’m referring to sore, debilitating, closing throats.



Thus, what happens when somebody orders a Strawberry Banana Matcha Vivanno? I find myself handing out a… Continue

I’m usually perplexed as what to write when I start a new website, blog, homepage, or the like. Thus, instead of permitting my thoughts to meander around, I will hone them in and focus them on all things coffee.



You see, working at Starbucks presents the simultaneous blessing and curse of working with the public. It offers a venue for great conversations, connections, and networking. However, it also makes this barista vulnerable to many conjectures about something he’s devoted a… Continue