Hi everybody
I have been lurking on this site for some time but I thought it was about time I posted. My questions arent even totally about coffee but more about dealing with bizarre managers. I was wondering if anyone in the industry (or any industry really) had similar experiences and could give me some advice?
I have recently started working as a maker of coffee (I dont dare call myself a barista) at a place which shall remain nameless, for reasons that will become obvious. The place I am working at isnt even really a cafe, its more of a sandwich bar that does tea and cakes in the afternoons. The manager, bless her, doesnt even like or drink coffee, and theyve only had the espresso machine for about a year - before that they used to serve heavily diluted stovetop coffee. Our coffee customers are mostly elderly people - there are office workers who come at lunch to buy sandwiches, but our coffee reputation is so bad they go and buy it from the place over the road instead.
And now I am working here, despite not having any formal training. I am basically learning from this forum - with the useful tips I am getting here, at least I have got to the stage where I dont want to throw out 3/4 of the coffees I make (its more like 1/3 now). I cant thank you guys enough for that.
Anyway, as you can probably guess, there are a lot of things that need to improve and Im really up against it. But right now my problem is that our coffee menu, and the way Ive been told to make coffee, is completely wrong and embarrassing.
On our menu we have cappa, latte, flat white (so far so good) but also "muggachino" (this spelling), "long white" and a few drinks I think the manager decided to put on after walking past Starbucks once. I think I know the answer to this one -but theres no way were ever going to improve our reputation if these drinks stay on the menu, is there? Has anyone had to deal with this kind of non-coffee manager before - if so, what did you do?
Secondly - what to do about non-standard preparations of drinks? We sell our flat whites - I call them "granny specials" - for $2 to people with seniors cards, and I have been told I "have" to make them "the way our customers like it". That is, by filling a cup 1/3 full with hot water, then adding a single espresso shot, then topping with stretched milk, no foam at all. We use quite big 250ml cups, so the coffee ratio is quite low - although at least they arent as embarrassing as the "long white" - which is 2/3 water, then a shot of coffee, then steamed milk.
I would like to make flat whites the proper way - that is, like a latte in a cup - but our customers are the types that have no qualms in wrinkling up their noses and complaining to the manager if things arent exactly the same as they were last week. Should I just let this one go? I mean flat whites, to me, arent a real drink anyway, and asking around I have seen a fair bit of variation in how they are made, especially re the froth issue. Maybe I could put an asterix on the menu or something?
Or should I just give up?
sorry for the length of this rant, and thanks again for your invaluable advice so far
Claire
(novice coffee-maker)
I have been lurking on this site for some time but I thought it was about time I posted. My questions arent even totally about coffee but more about dealing with bizarre managers. I was wondering if anyone in the industry (or any industry really) had similar experiences and could give me some advice?
I have recently started working as a maker of coffee (I dont dare call myself a barista) at a place which shall remain nameless, for reasons that will become obvious. The place I am working at isnt even really a cafe, its more of a sandwich bar that does tea and cakes in the afternoons. The manager, bless her, doesnt even like or drink coffee, and theyve only had the espresso machine for about a year - before that they used to serve heavily diluted stovetop coffee. Our coffee customers are mostly elderly people - there are office workers who come at lunch to buy sandwiches, but our coffee reputation is so bad they go and buy it from the place over the road instead.
And now I am working here, despite not having any formal training. I am basically learning from this forum - with the useful tips I am getting here, at least I have got to the stage where I dont want to throw out 3/4 of the coffees I make (its more like 1/3 now). I cant thank you guys enough for that.
Anyway, as you can probably guess, there are a lot of things that need to improve and Im really up against it. But right now my problem is that our coffee menu, and the way Ive been told to make coffee, is completely wrong and embarrassing.
On our menu we have cappa, latte, flat white (so far so good) but also "muggachino" (this spelling), "long white" and a few drinks I think the manager decided to put on after walking past Starbucks once. I think I know the answer to this one -but theres no way were ever going to improve our reputation if these drinks stay on the menu, is there? Has anyone had to deal with this kind of non-coffee manager before - if so, what did you do?
Secondly - what to do about non-standard preparations of drinks? We sell our flat whites - I call them "granny specials" - for $2 to people with seniors cards, and I have been told I "have" to make them "the way our customers like it". That is, by filling a cup 1/3 full with hot water, then adding a single espresso shot, then topping with stretched milk, no foam at all. We use quite big 250ml cups, so the coffee ratio is quite low - although at least they arent as embarrassing as the "long white" - which is 2/3 water, then a shot of coffee, then steamed milk.
I would like to make flat whites the proper way - that is, like a latte in a cup - but our customers are the types that have no qualms in wrinkling up their noses and complaining to the manager if things arent exactly the same as they were last week. Should I just let this one go? I mean flat whites, to me, arent a real drink anyway, and asking around I have seen a fair bit of variation in how they are made, especially re the froth issue. Maybe I could put an asterix on the menu or something?
Or should I just give up?
sorry for the length of this rant, and thanks again for your invaluable advice so far
Claire
(novice coffee-maker)
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