I know most of what this thread is used for is posts by actual baristas, but I figured this was the most appropriate place to make my post!

As a teenager with horrible social anxiety combined with a processing disorder and a bundle of other things, going to large chain stores usually terrifies me. When my therapist suggested I start poking my head into my local Starbucks during less busy periods as a form of building confidence, I was less than happy. I gave it a shot, and it turned out to be a fantastic decision! Yeah, Starbucks products are overpriced, and I’ll be honest, I prefer the taste of McDonald’s coffee, but the environment I’ve found is irreplaceable.

I know almost all the employees by name, we chat about our days when there’s not a rush, one of them even learned a couple basic ASL signs so I can confirm and deny things easier when I’m having trouble speaking, since lip reading isn’t exactly possible right now. I’m also a trans-man, and since I’m still young I haven’t had a legal name change so the name on my card is different from the one I give. One employee asked my pronouns, spread it to the others, and that was the end of that!

I know I’m going on about a specific location, even thought it’s incredibly unlikely anyone who works there will ever see this, but the point I’m trying to make is that I know I’m not the only one who’s had such wonderful experiences with baristas! I’ve worked in customer service (not quite retail or food but close) and I know that you guys are often under appreciated by customers, higher-ups, or both. But I just wanted to say that I hope you all know that when you go the extra mile to make us customers comfortable, we notice, and we truly appreciate you.