We Are Open

We opened promptly at 10am on Monday November third and offered a free late to the first 50 customers it was advertised as if it was a secret and we didn’t want people to know. It worked because we had a line and while they showed up for the latte they decided to buy more than a latte’s worth in food.

James our head chef tweaked the breakfast menu so that even I was impressed. He kept it simple and didn’t offer too many options but I loved all of them and so did the guest. We were sold out by noon and mall employees were coming back to reorder what they had earlier or what their coworkers had.

I decided that I would put Ernest on bar and Kimmy on register while Beth and I was floating and Calling the line (Taking orders and pulling food from the kitchen). We stayed busy so the shift went by quickly. Eythan came in at 1 and the next part of our team came in at 2. The Shift Lead Barteen Jackson and the two afternoon baristas Rebecca Holmes and Dexter Miller both of whom showed up 15 minutes late. The two apologized and set quickly to work just as they were trained. Kimmy went on her lunch first for 30 minutes followed by Ernest than myself. When we all were on I listened as the jokes flowed out of Ernest and Dexter. The two of them were both gay black men in their early to mid-twenties.  Ernest was like a big black old church woman trapped in a young skinny gay man. Ernest talked about his husband and their two children, his dogs.

As lunch rush finished out I could see that there was extra time that needed to be managed, Beth did a good job dividing out midday task and then clocked out to go home at four. Eythan kept an eye to ensure that everyone was doing as they were instructed. I spent a good deal of time in the office where I heard nonstop laughing I stepped out to find Ernest and Eythan hurling insults at one another and customers ready to fall on the floor laughing. It was clear to everyone that at PUC, you paid for coffee but entertainment was free.

The day rolled on and soon my AM shift was replaced by my late night shift, and I went home so that I could be back in the AM. Eythan took over for the rest of the day.