My personal unpopular opinion- working in the hospitality industry is incredibly rewarding. 

I’m not talking about going home feeling rested, relaxed and definitely not talking about the gold coinage that comes out of it.

It’s bloody hard work. Your body at the end of the day feels like you’ve done a million tasks because it has, your brain foggy and your throat dry from shouting out orders. But I always returned feeling like I’d done something with the day. The sit-down office life was never for me and hospitality was a great excuse, as an introvert to force myself to interact with people daily and build that all-important character that you need to succeed in an industry where people aren’t afraid to complain to you behind an email.

Now, for those that have never worked in the service industry before, there’s nothing… quite like it. Essentially, a large part of the job is being a host. A host that is good at convincing you that their next best wish is to help you get what you need. Be gracious, approachable and friendly. And being like that 8 to 9 hours a day non-stop is a real skill, let me tell you. 

For baristas this is no different.

A personable greeting, and then “The usual?” 

Omg. They know my order!

They continue the conversation you had from yesterday. And you’re impressed they remember.

Your drink appears in front of you within minutes, just the way you like it.

All that and they’ve poured a heart on my flat white, just for me.

Do this for about 3-5 visits a week and it’s hard to not find it charming. I get it.

This poor barista has to do this for about 80 different people, every day. And I’ll tell you, the last thing you want is the person on the receiving end to give you a wink and ask you when you get off, when you have milk in your hair, hazelnut syrup somewhere in your armpit crease and a burning callus from non-stop tamping. We love that you love to come here. But please, please, don’t take your barista's skill to mean something else. 

Don’t get me wrong! Sometimes it’s genuine, but there were days when my colleagues and I would want to scream from the hilltops “YOUR BARISTA DOESN’T FANCY YOU!” But we can’t because it’s a Saturday and you’re running around like the charming, headless chicken you are.

So my point is, we designed this T-shirt for our “caffeine-fuelled yet somehow still tired” community. But even if you’re not a budding barista and just wanna spread awareness, wear this top with pride and kindly remind the public that baristas don’t fancy them, they’re just really, really good at acting like a decent human being.