Leaving Well Enough Alone
Sitting back enjoying a Sunday morning cappuccino gives me pause to reflect on recent dealings with Starbucks. The saga just won’t end…
You may or may not remember that it took me a good portion of the summer to figure out the unique Starbucks language to order a decent cup of cappuccino in the US. Let me repeat it in case you missed it…
“I’ll have a medium cappuccino…extra shot of espresso…pour it wet.”
Well, being back in Ireland and finding myself in Starbucks presented me with a bit of a conundrum.
How do I order my coffee?
Do all Starbucks’ employees go to the same barista university?
Do they speak the same language?
Will the nice European employee understand what ‘wet’ foam is?
The answer is no.
After refining my US ordering skills for the past couple of months to get what I wanted, I stood proudly at the counter and gave my now standardized order and do you know what I got?
A blank stare.
Still, it was a good cup of coffee (in a ceramic mug no less!) without dabbling in Starbuck-ese. Yep, I should have left well enough alone.
in Canada, I would order a tall, non-fat latte. what is the translation?
09 Sep 2007 at 10:33 am
What a funny experience! I think I’ll try ordering your cappuccino at a Starbucks in Wisconsin and let you know what happens.
09 Sep 2007 at 3:28 pm
I worked at Starbucks for 4 years and just assumed we all spoke the same ridiculous lingo the world over. That being said, I would have known what you meant when you said you wanted your cappuccino wet. I also would have translated it into Starbucks speak for the benefit of the person making it and then smiled at you and asked you what part of Ireland you were from - nothing irked me more than baristas who would pretend they didn’t understand a drink order just because it wasn’t in the “proper” lingo.
09 Sep 2007 at 7:02 pm
“coffee” in Scotland’s Starbucks … is espresso plus water. They don’t DO filtered coffee here.
09 Sep 2007 at 10:07 pm
ahhh, the search continues for the elusive perfect cup of coffee. good luck!
09 Sep 2007 at 10:38 pm
I don’t know about the correct language but I do know I like the ceramic mug. I have a favourite one which I bought in Starbuck’s in Glasgow airport - it’s just the right size - i.e. not too big.
10 Sep 2007 at 7:38 am
Thought of you this morning Cheryl when I went to Starbucks in the Town Centre and happily got a cup of filter coffee in the size of mug that I like - they called it a short - I’ve been able to get “shorts” in the States but that’s my first “short” here. It took persistence and lots of pointing to get what I wanted but it was a pleasure to succeed - and the staff were cheery and smiling.
18 Sep 2007 at 12:07 pm
As an American who loves her own special cup of coffee, I finally worked out “a tall Americano with 1 1/2 inches of foam.” For the most part I get a very nice one of those at Starbucks, but most other places usually botch it. But I haven’t a clue what a wet cappuccino is. I’m curious.
09 Dec 2007 at 9:05 am