Not including my shift supervisor and manager, im the 2nd fastest on bar at my store. It definitely stresses me out too. I absolutely hate when people are literally staring at me. Then if im shaking almond milk and it flies up and splashes me in my eyeballs, theyre staring and idk how to react cuz theyre freakin eyeballing me hard. If im shaking shaken espresso and a little splash gets in my shirt or something, theyre staring. If i fumble with a cup or steam pitcher in an awkward way, theyre watching it happen and idk what to do. Or if im shaking an iced matcha latte and it flies outta my hand and goes everywhere, theyre staring at the entire thing unfold. Like wtf. I feel like im behind the glass in a zoo exhibit

Honestly I don’t have the best answer but I end up shutting down and just stop looking up. I’ll call out drinks and I’ll give whoever asks for a straw their straw and that’s it. I go bare minimum socially while I focus on busting drinks out.

The fish bowl syndrome is very real. I don’t like people watching me and honestly it’s hard for me to have a conversation with someone while I’m barring because I have a hard time hearing in general. There’s not a one size fits all to help with this. For me if I’m really stressed I just overly communicate. “Thank you for you’re patience, we are working as fast as we can. The next 8 drinks Im working are (states names)”. I’ll constantly update what I’m working on. I’ll sing to myself to keep me flow and if I’m in good company others will join me turning it into a good time. I hope you can find what works for you to get you out of that moment of stress.

stare back

Hey! So I don't have any helpful tips but I wanted to offer support and solidarity. I think most of us would feel this way...like if that happened to me it would totally ruin the rest of my shift. A few of my work friends have cried in their cars after shitty shifts. It must be even harder given all you are dealing with. Would it help in those to keep reminding yourself of what you said about being one of the strongest on bar at your store? When I have an epically shitty day, I remind myself that it's really just coffee/beverages. It's not life or death. Even the worst case scenerio at Starbucks is truly not the end of the world. Even if I did fuck it up royally, that's not a reflection of the goodness of my character. I have survived a whole lot more than a bad day making fancy drinks. I suspect you have survived a lot more than most people already in life. I hope you have supportive coworkers and management as well that may be able to offer you some more tangible tips to destress.

honestly what i do is just not look at them. if i don’t look at them i don’t know that there looking at me. i’m pretty short too so it’s already kinda hard for me to even see above the espresso machines. i worked at a license store for 3 years before going to a corporate store and i would work alone everyday when it’d get busy. i know that i can only move so fast and that they can see that. if they don’t like it i give them a refund and move on.

Communicating is key! It eases stress for you and the customer as well if they feel that they understand what's going on. They may see that you're "busy" but have no concept of how long a drink takes to make or why you're making other drinks before theirs. I find it best to call out the names of my next two drinks (e.g. "Natalie, I'm working on your pink drink! Cameron, your Americano is coming up next!) and once every few orders look up above the bar and call out something like, "Folks, I appreciate your patience! Sorry about the wait, I'm making orders as fast as I can and I'll call your name once I receive your ticket!" Also, never be afraid to ask another partner for help or ask your shift to flex the play to support you if they can. Work should be balanced equally across the team for happy customers and happy partners!

I’ll say I’ll call your name when it’s ready, but then they still stare me down. I’m not really sure when or where in society anyone deemed it okay to stare at a human being trying to work, even if they’re offering you a service.

I straight up will tell people “it’s gonna be a minute; you may wanna grab a seat”

I find this a little contradicting considering you showed zero support on a comment I posted in the Starbucks subreddit where I had to defend my brothers death because you don’t “believe” someone can overdose from a fentanyl exposure. (Even though I posted the direct link to the CDC website SAYING it can absolutely happen) Not very empathetic coming from someone who seems to need that in their life.

Stare back to assert dominance.

On a serious note, I've used to suffer from social anxiety so bad I'd have panic attacks in public and have to hide in a bathroom for a while. I take lexapro now and it's a lot more manageable. We're just making fancy bean water with milk/sugar at the end of the day. I like to think they're watching because they're fascinated by how me and my partners are juggling their orders.

Or maybe they're like me and just zoning out forgetting they're staring at people lol. Who knows. Even if you feel/know and sense someone is staring you down maliciously, like they're judging you or something, I'd personally just work extra slow and if they complain be honest and tell them you got nervous with them staring at you. Either they'll just laugh at/with you and move on with their day, or they'll just stare you down more, which you'd already be used to at that point lol.