OAKLAND, CA— Chaos erupted during the morning rush at a local cash-free cafe after the internet went down and stayed down for fifteen long minutes, preventing baristas from making any formal transactions. “It was like nothing I’ve ever seen before,” said customer Sarah Walabi, looking past me as she spoke. “The line was out the door and the…
By Camillia Nazanin NEW YORK, NY— Hamburgers. Doughnuts. Hot dogs. Pizza. The US has always been a melting pot where foreign treats undergo a metamorphosis and become hometown heroes, often to the chagrin of their original owners. The Italian affogato, an import already beloved in the States, is the latest treat to cause outcry from its motherland as…
CINCINNATI, OH— Local mom Corinne Olson was banned from a popular Cincinnati cafe this morning after complaining that the kid’s temperature hot chocolate she ordered for her nine-year-old son Tyler was too cool. Olson, who frequents the cafe while working on her Etsy store, often brings her son along on his days off from school. She assumed that…
By Camillia Nazanin AUSTIN, TX— Angry customers are flooding the Yelp page of an Austin coffee shop following an unfortunate incident with a talkative visitor. Flutist Sebastian Chorno stopped by the cafe to get his caffeine fix before a performance, but quickly found himself in the company of vexed patrons. Our reporters reached out to Chorno for…
NEW YORK CITY, NY— Communist coffee shop customer Mitch Dryden doesn’t believe in tipping baristas; according to him, “the whole system is fucked, and tipping only validates that.” Dryden, who works as a bike mechanic, used to work as barista but doesn’t believe in tipping. “It’s not about people as individuals, it’s about the system,” he said. “It’s…
BOSTON, MA— This morning in a local university’s robotics building, a coffee-fetching robot disrupted service and severely pissed off several baristas. Creators were thrilled and excited to send Caffbot, the new robot they’ve engineered to fetch their morning brew, on his inaugural mission down to their favorite cafe. However, the mission didn’t quite go as planned. When…
By Adam Heffelfinger CLEVELAND, OH— Barista Seth Holstein was working through a typical brisk rush hour line early Tuesday morning when his day took an unexpected turn. Craig Johns, a 42-year veteran of Cleveland-based investment firm Stodges & Coller produced a crisp bill and placed it on the counter. “He asked me if I could break it…
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK— A local cafe chain is implementing a new anti-bias training program to teach baristas to respect coffees of all roast levels. While many are skeptical of the efficacy of anti-bias trainings, owner Helen Jones believes that it’s a necessary first step in eliminating bias not only in baristas, but in the wider community. “In third-wave coffee shops.…
By Jack Crisfield LONDON, UK— The owner of an award-winning South London coffee shop was left shocked today as a fresh-off-the-boat Australian told her that good coffee simply cannot be found in London. Shane Brown of Melbourne Australia, who has lived in the UK for two weeks, insisted that “there’s just nothing good here” during a conversation…
PITTSBURGH, PA— Local barista Aisha Khan was disgruntled today when a regular customer at her coffee shop requested her friendship on Facebook. Our reporters hit the scene to investigate. “I mean, we interact a few times a week, but it’s not like we’re actual friends,” she told us. “I don’t want to share my political views and, like, pictures of…