• Candid Portraits,  coffee shops,  lifestyles,  People/Portraits

    What’s a barista?

    My Pirate Baristas on Halloween

    A barista is someone that specializes in making and serving a variety of beverages. They usually work at a coffee shop, bookstore, or in a bar that serves coffee or espresso specialty drinks. In addition, most baristas call you by name, know what your normal drink is and also dress in costumes pretending to be pirates, beautiful pirates.

  • coffee shops,  Documentary/Street,  writing/reading

    Being a Regular

    Mocha latte at the Bean Cycle. I'm in the loft looking down on the coffeehouse.
    Mocha latte at the Bean Cycle. I’m in the loft looking down on the coffeehouse.

    I can walk into several coffeehouses and be greeted by my first name. That feels good. 🙂 I also know several of them by name. At some locations I can even have the baristas call out and say, ‘The usual, Monte?” These young people and the coffeehouse can easily become an extended family. We will almost always have some sort of conversation whether started by them or me, asking questions such as, “How was your weekend?” or “What have you planned for the day?” I find it comforting  when they let me know I’m a person and not just a customer with money in his wallet.