Dear god this might be the worst shift of the year.
Welp it started like I expected crazy busy but we had a lot of people on the floor, until it dwindled down to 4 baristas and one shift (we are a drive cafe) and oh boy people arnt happy with us being out of all the holiday drinks… and the amount of remakes because guess what? Our ice is now salty cuz someone put the wrong salt in the thingy… anyway while this is all happening so many people are saying “thank you so much for being open! Idk what we would have done!?!” Anyway we got a lot of tips… that we distribute through out the store like usual, which in my opinion after today isn’t fair but whatever.

That’s when an… interesting customer walks in saying she wants a pbj box, I say if there isn’t any in the rtde case I’ll check the drive fridge, none there none in drive thru. I say sorry but we have other things. She says no she called and someone had set one aside for her. I say ok I’ll see if it’s in any of the back fridges, it’s not, I ask my shift if he knows where it would be and he says someone must have sold it I tell her sorry and asked when she called and who she talked to as we aren’t allowed to hold items at all let alone longer than an hour. She doesn’t answer any questions and instead gives me a story that she drove here from an hour away from big city because we are the only ones that had one when she checked. That the hospital will only let her bring in packaged food with the nutrition info. I say I’m sorry and latte method and ask who she spoke to? Or even when? Maybe we can hunt down another for her. She only said a girl was on the phone and a few hours ago… somehow my shift saved the day by messaging 2 other shifts if they know what’s up and the box is in a random fridge (our sweet cream fridge) in order to hide it. I tell her I’m sorry for the mishap, but she wants other things as well. I’m nice so I don’t charge her for thepb&j box. But she forgot her phone and ran off with something in her hand she didn’t have before I went to check the back (I think she stole a cup? Idk and idc) and after a minute I think she’s not coming back so I help the next customer. She comes back mad I helped someone else while she was gone and I explain I didn’t know if you were coming back and she scoffs. Whatever right? I scan her stuff asking if there was traffic and if she needs a bag, the total was more than what she had on her app gift card (11 cents more but I didn’t even scan the pb&j box going to right now recovery it separately) and she says well I don’t have any cash. So I asked if I can scan her credit card attached to the app and she looks surprised I didn’t just magically wave the 11 cents left over. Well I did anyway and sent her on her way. I feel like I should mention the area she is from has like a thousand of Starbucks (it’s a division of Los Angeles) but I know that district has different food items. But she literally passed a good hundred starbucks on the way here, many I know where open today and are in our district. I feel like we got scammed? Idk the whole thing is just weird.

Well now it’s time to close cafe and lose 1 last barista (normally we close with only 2 so bonus! But we have a borrowed who doesn’t know where anything goes). well as we have 5 minutes to close we get 4 massive families come in all ordering drinks. 12 hot chocolates, 2 americanos, 5 Frappuccinos (2 with add shots) and 6 lattes. All were customized of course.

And after we bust out their drinks make a massive tip, we see our shift lead walk them out to start taking down patio furniture. That’s when I see someone shuffle her way in ignoring my shift saying we are closed and shouting “I’m just going to the bathroom!” I recognize her, we told her to not come back yesterday after we started to call 911 when she was screaming her head off in the bathroom, only stopped when we said were calling 911 for help. She didn’t like being told no and when my shift said to leave or police would need to be called for her trespassing (mind you we were supposed to be locking doors 15 minutes ago) she got angry and on the way out threw napkins and coffee beans we had for display on the condiment bar at the shift. If we still had crafes out I think I would have had to call 911 for my shift. She got out and he locked the doors and had to interrupt our managers thanksgiving dinner to tell her what happened.

The rest of the night was us running around like headless chickens trying to do preps, dishes and still serve the drive thru. Until we closed then same thing just telling people we are closed (to many’s anger and asking for coffee anyway… dude everything is covered in soap). That’s when espresso was really messed up. We couldn’t get the tray to click in all the way an when we pulled it out we saw the metal backing (that’s welded on) was half off. And the whole tray was flooding and not draining. So we tried fixing that, ended up staying 30 minutes later to call it in and let mourning crew know.

I am really starting to think tips on crazy holidays/ red cup day should stay with the people who worked that day like it is on Xmas day. Happy holidays yall