How to Survive in a Coffee Shop?

Answer 1

Do coffee shops scare you away because of the people who sit around tables with their books, magazines, and stacks of homework? Or maybe because the smell of coffee is simply so overpowering that you feel as if you’ll become addicted to coffee in less then five seconds? Or perhaps the menu appears to be written in a completely foreign language and you have no idea how to order? If you don’t like it’s possible to enter a coffee shop and still come out alive, read on.

1) Order your drink: Read the menu and do not be afraid to ask questions. If that’s too frightening, you’ll find below a basic list of drinks you might see.

Caffe Latte: A lot of steamed milk and a little espresso!

Cappucino: Steamed milk, fluffy foam, and espresso

Caffe Mocha: Steamed milk and espresso with the addition of a chocolate syrup

Caffe Americano: A smooth, rich, hot cup of espresso, very similar to a cup of brewed coffee

Espresso Con Panna: Espresso with cream...instead of milk

Espresso Macchiato: The same as above, minus the cream, plus the milk.

The menu will also usually have relatively self-explanatory speciality drinks, teas, or smoothies. For the coffees, you can typically add Iced to any of the above drinks to get a cold drink. Sometimes, you can also ask for an added flavour shot, should you want your caffe mocha to be extremely chocolatey or your flavoured drink to have an extra boost of caramel.

2) Walk away from the counter: Get your drink, a cookie maybe, and go find a table. The longer you linger, the more tempted you’ll be to buy more things. Coffee shops have this uncanny knack of making you want to order everything on the menu, but your wallet simply cannot afford it. So sit down and start drinking.

3) Bring a friend: Coffee shops are a place of social interaction. If you don’t have homework to do or emails to answer, bring a friend for a chat. This lessens your worries and feelings of awkwardness, and helps you to feel more like you could actually fit in at the coffee shop.

With a little practice of the above rules on several coffee dates, the coffee shop may actually become a second home. You’ll be a pro at ordering, saying no, socializing, and walking out the door with another date already in the planner.