The Coffee Craze

An Inside Look at Working at an On-Campus Starbucks

By: Yoni Andorsky

Photo by Annebel Friedman

I am an employee at the Warren Towers Starbucks, working two four-hour shifts per week. Now, I won’t specify which exact days and times, but let’s just say I work the morning rush. Everyone is aware of how busy that Starbucks (and others) can get, so, for the most part, customers will be very respectful and understanding.

I specifically work on one of the two espresso machines, cranking out pumpkin spice lattes and iced doppios (don’t even get me started). The team I work with is amazing, and everyone is kind. Although it gets insanely busy, it’s still a good time.

I’ve found the best way to manage the rush is to just put my head down and work. Most of the time, I find myself not even realizing how many people are in the store because my attention stays on the tickets coming in and out.

I want to emphasize that I really have had a great time working here so far. I work in a very popular breakfast and lunch spot back home, so I’m familiar with the restaurant rush. What I will say about working at Starbucks, however, is that not everyone can do this job. It can very quickly become stressful, loud, and messy if you don’t stay organized and focused.

As someone who has always loved cooking and baking, I find making coffee drinks to be quite fun. Precision is extremely important; knowing the core drink recipes and formulas is vital to a barista’s success. Having to balance precision with the busyness of the store is pretty challenging, especially when so many tired, hungry, and late students are watching my every move.

It’s safe to say that the Warren Towers Starbucks is consistently the busiest place on campus—aside from the Taco Bell on West Campus at 12am on a Saturday—and it’s definitely the busiest Starbucks I’ve ever seen. So, if you’ve placed your order at 10:40am, and 20 minutes later you still haven’t gotten it, know that you might still have to wait another 10 more. My advice to the patrons of Starbucks at 700 Commonwealth Avenue: look around. Standing in that swarm of uncaffeinated college kids is a rite of passage here at Boston University.