Calling out coffee drinks "Tall cocoa!" It was my shift. My morning at the controls of the elevated four group La Marzocco espresso machine. It was an espresso bar as theatre stage, a relic from the days before Starbucks customized and cranked out location after location. It took two steps up from behind the bar... Continue Reading →
Starbucks gone to pieces?
Has Starbucks gone to pieces? Starbucks today and the Starbucks I worked at in Chicago and set my historical fiction novel Tripio in, would have a hard time recognizing each other. For one, there are about 25,000 more stores and 200,000 more employees around than when I wore the green apron. Those numbers tell the... Continue Reading →
From Barista to Boardroom and back
. Thoughts on Barista to Boardroom “It felt like the circle had softly closed, like it was all meant to happen exactly that way. I could now let go and move forward, embracing life as a former partner.’ These couple of sentences conclude Christne McHugh's’ memoir, From Barista to Boardroom. In my historical... Continue Reading →
VanGogh & Tripio are shaking the content tree
“Just dash something down if you see a blank canvas staring at you with a certain imbecility” I wrote that Painters block? I take this blog seriously. I know I have come to use humor more frequently as the blog goes on. However I believe that is an indication of growing confidence in the blog... Continue Reading →