It was 9:00am, time to open. I had just badly burned my fingers with hot coffee and I was all alone. I threw burn cream and a band-aid on my finger and unlocked the front door. Immediately there was a line to the door. After taking two orders, both including a drink and a bagel sandwich, I decided that this was going to take me a really long time and I had to say something.
Let me wind backward. I’d been opening the Local Tuesday through Friday for two weeks as a backbar. For a typical open shift the barista arrives an hour before opening at 7:00am and the backbar arrives right at 8:00am. I woke up at 7:00 to a text from Jessa New.
I had just been trained and had never opened one of the shops as a barista before. I was a little thrown but figured that I’d been working there for long enough that I had a good enough idea of what had to be done. Not to mention the fact that there were charts and lists somewhere that I could refer to.
Then, at 8:55 I texted Jessa and found out that she was unable to find anyone else to come on with me. So until 9:45, when the next employee was scheduled to come on, it would just be me. I felt nervous but fundamentally prepared. Then I spilled freshly brewed drip coffee onto my fingers in the final minute of setting up. I opened the door and instantly there was a line all the way to it. Many people had waited at the top of the stairs after showing up and finding out our opening had been delayed and I assume many people were heading out of town after the eclipse the day before. After taking two orders I decided I should say something. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to work if I felt like the whole line was staring daggers at me, frustrated with the long wait. I turned to the line and said “Good morning everyone. I just wanted to let you know that it is just me this morning for about 45 minutes. It’s going to be a bit of a wait so I wanted to give you all a heads up in case anyone had any time constraints.” I think a couple people may have left but I felt so much better about the pace I had to go at. And that was the first time I ever opened the Local.
Anjali Blacker is a second year Sociology major, minoring in Music Studies, with an integrative concentration in Arts Administration and Leadership graduating in spring of 2026!
