Words from Experience

Working at a coffee shop and any work place you get to meet some unique people! At Latte Donatte we have 8-10 employees, all ranging from experienced in life to learning algebra 3 in high school.  One employee especially has gone through many things in the realm of a coffee shop, and no this is not my boss. Karen Vogel, an employee who I am very privileged to work with multiple days in the week.


 Her bright spirit with employees and knowledge of coffee is very pleasurable and easy to work with.


I had the opportunity to sit down with her and ask several questions regarding life in a coffee shop and thought sharing her story would be beneficial. She has gone through the customer, barista, and owner stages of a coffee shop enjoying parts of each step. Knowing she had her own coffee shop we began there.

How did you get involved with coffee shops?
 (Her reply was inspiring considering I would also like to start my own coffee shop one day.)
    
Would you believe that her answer was based on 7 years of vacation down in Florida? Her husband, her and couple would go down to Florida every winter and daily they would go to a coffee shop that opened her view to the environment of the coffee shop. She used words to explain the environment such as "friendly, calming, the sway of the palm trees, it just had a feeling that was welcoming."
   
 Karen's inspiration to me: the spark for a dream can start from something simple as... the experience a coffee shop.


What happened with the inspiration?

From there she started the journey that would end with a coffee shop in the Johnson Creek Outlet Mall with 2 other partners. They were in establishment 1998-2004. Daily serving Alterra Coffee and local artists works  to daily shoppers was Karen's now dream come true.


Karen as a Barista
   -Saw big change in location. She commented on the change in customers. "At a mall you have your regular shoppers who meet their girlfriend or family, drink coffee then go shop. In a small town you traffic, you have "the guys" (as we call them at Latte Donatte) who come in every morning and we know who each other are by our first name.

                                     

 It is fun to see the interaction between the barista's and customers.

 Going from work to school. I get several "good luck at 

school Katie" in morning as I rush to class. 

                         

   - Karen stated some things that get her excited about work. Her favorite thing being the other person she gets to work with on that day. Several observations were noted about customer approach to ordering when certain people work. She really noted the dislike of "turnover employees" and how regular customers like seeing familiar faces versus several different ones who they do not know.


   - Ever think maybe work is boring? Not for Karen. The running joke is that she gets all the exciting stories while working. She told me numerous items that make working at a coffee shop not a monotonous job.
          
 Take for instance... Police coming in for a questioning about a customer that had bought coffee from you earlier that morning.


Those lovely customers we all that that just push our patience to the limit. Her favorites are those who are chatty about some very random things. What do barista's get to do at those times? Smile and continue the conversation... somehow!

Latte Art [Rosetta] from Tyler

         - Having a new customer and hearing their excitement about  
            the place!
         - Making a drink that is definitely worth the money! And just
            because it looks pretty!


Working with talented and open people is a benefit I get daily at a coffee shop. We are a family, of customers and employees. Grateful to Karen for the knowledge she has passed onto me and I hope to you too!