Observational Essay: Coffee to Comfort

The aroma is pleasant , the sounds of several different conversations surround me, and the atmosphere is cozy. Caffeine, something most crave in the early hours of the day, before work or after dropping the kids off at school. A place is known for their mastery in making caffeine drinks of many flavors and sorts. Starbucks Coffee is that place. Millions all over the world love Starbucks, they offer various coffee drinks from hot mochas and sweet lattes or cold frappuchinos to just a plain black coffee. They offer tasty drinks for non-coffee lovers as well, also they make homemade delicious pastries each day including: cinnamon sugar coffee cakes, blueberry and chocolate chip muffins, big snicker doodle and sugar cookies, almond chocolate chip toffee bars, banana chocolate chip bread, and many more. Besides their great food, they always have a friendly and warm atmosphere. A local Starbucks at 64th and Ward in suburban Arvada brings people in day in and day out.

You can tell Valentine’s Day is near, holiday retail is everywhere, a red coffee mug with pink hearts holding a little teddy bear, chocolates, and gift cards with hearts all over them. This all adds to the cozy feeling. It was mid-morning around ten and still quite busy. The majority of the customers are older, most retired and joining a friend and discussing each other’s lives. As time went by a variety of people came in, showing how all ages love their coffee. A high school couple passes through to get a drink, then seconds later another couple fifty years older gets their to go coffee mugs filled with their drink of choice and are out the door. Among the retired adults, a couple of businessmen beginning their career enjoyed their coffee as well. The first one waits in line holding his briefcase, he looks sharp with his tie and collard white shirt. After a few short minutes, he takes his coffee, sits down behind me and goes through papers for work and makes phone calls on his slick, high-tech cell phone. Meanwhile, another business man with the same attire enters but goes straight back to the restroom, hurries out gets coffee and walks out while chatting on his cell phone as well. In addition, students who are in the process of learning about their desired career need their coffee too. A college looking student enters with a Stephen King novel in hand. After getting his coffee he starts reading the novel, then plays with his phone, and shortly after I catch him gazing out the window. He is pondering something, but no one knows.

I have yet to see anyone expressing any anger or even a hint of unhappiness. Everyone is very content and enjoying themselves. I hear the clinks and clanks of change falling into the register as an employee does a transaction. Laughter is heard all around me in all different pitches. One comes from a lady in the corner across the room, its a short loud shriek but it is laughter. The employees behind the counter sing along to the music playing, they joke around with each other and are laughing pretty hard, they must not hate their job, but then again it is Starbucks. “The people I work with is what makes it fun”, Ruth says with a smile. Starbucks is a place for leisure as well as a good drink. It’s apparent in this Starbucks as they provide four big, blue velvet, comfy chairs for people to use. It’s nice, not all coffee shops provide this luxury. Later, an older man enters gets his coffee and sits at the table besides me, opens a new pack of red inked pens, and begins his daily routine of filling out the crossword puzzle in the local newspaper.

I hear the sounds of creating a caramel macchiato while they top the drink with whip cream, and I hear a steamer go off several times to heat someone’s drink to just the right temperature. Starbucks’ hot drinks are never too hot to drink right away, many appreciate this Starbuck‘s specialty as everyone sips their coffee seconds after picking it up. On the other hand, as cold drinks are ordered I see and hear a woman scooping ice and the blender going off. Usually people think a blender’s noise is the most annoying sound, not here it fits in and just works with all the other sounds that are going off, no one even notices. Alarms are going off and the phone rings once while I am there; who needs to call Starbucks? Everyone knows their drink they always get. It’s not like you need directions to one. A great thing is that they are everywhere. You just need step outside your neighborhood and you are bound to see one, there is a Starbucks at every block.
There is a cart to the side of where you pick up your order. The cart contains three different pitchers of milk, several different kinds of sugars, sleeves for your coffee, stir sticks, and napkins. An older man with a duffle bag awaits for his coffee as he leans on his cane. His order, two coffees in the middle size, a box with a pastry, and a bag with another pastry came up quickly. This was ironic because he had ordered the most out of anyone so far, yet has only one available hand to carry anything with because the other is occupied with his cane. Will anyone help him? As a man goes over to the cart to add cream, they exchange conversation, I assume the man offers help. The man must have declined, next he puts his pastries in his duffle, asks for a to go holder for his coffee and leaves full handed. I feel sorry for him, though he leaves pleased.

Busy, busy, busy, everyone is so busy in their lives, they need to get coffee so they can continue staying busy. It’s the norm but Starbucks is different from the norm and that’s why it’s not the ordinary coffee shop, their variety makes them the one that everyone wants. Many come to this well known coffee place to pause that busy lifestyle for either a few seconds or several minutes. I noticed how they sell everything possible to create your own Starbucks at home. The exact machines and steamers, several different kinds of coffee beans, flavored syrups (caramel, white chocolate, vanilla…), and other Starbucks’ items, yet only one woman bought something other than coffee. Even so, she only bought a simple mug. People don’t buy these things to create a Starbucks at home because part of getting your Starbucks is going there and enjoying the people you run into, the leisure reading, or even the meaningless gaze out the window. Whatever it may be people like going to Starbucks and look forward to the warm atmosphere where disappoint is seldom and relaxation is guaranteed whether it’s a tall, grande, or veinte.