Tonight is my very last shift as a SSV after just over a year. I was an external hire. The first six months were super solid… I felt like my training was pretty good, and I caught on to the barista side of it quickly. I formed bonds with the partners immediately (and have made legitimate friends, after not having friends for almost a decade because making friends with exclusively other moms is actually a really weird and uncomfortable process). Peak was never overwhelming, it was almost fun in its challenge, and there were always enough partners on the floor for things to run relatively smoothly.

Thennnn the decline.

I’m sure you all noticed it too. After covid kind of stopped being a thing (?) it was crunch time. Limited hours, limited partners, lowered window times. Post-peak is torture; losing two or three partners and still running breaks. Trying to maintain positive morale. I’m just not built for it, man. My ships aren’t run tightly enough. I’ll bust my ass on mobile bar all day if I have to, but I don’t expect my partners to be okay with doing that. Especially for the green beans, it’s a lot to throw at them and hope they can handle it. I don’t like feeling like I have to apologize to partners for things that are outside of my control, but I want them to know that I empathize with their stress. My store does have some really greats shifts who have mastered the art of support, but my brain just can’t get there.

So, I’m taking one hell of a pay/hours cut and joining the ranks of barista, and honestly, I have mixed feelings about it. I’m so thrilled to be on par with my peers and let the more capable shifts do what they do. I’m going to really miss when I actually ran a great shift (which, let’s be honest, wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of the baristas). I’m going to miss being a favorite shift (because, unlike some of my peers, I actively participate in the chaos instead of micromanage). I love my store and my team, and I’m happy to still be part of it without the added stress of shift shit.

I hate covid, but I miss covid-times, when goals felt obtainable, and like Starbucks just maybe, sort of, slightly cared about us.

I hope you’re all hanging in there. I hope you’re all getting the mental/emotional/physician support you need to carry on making dang lattes. I hope your management team treats you right, and I hope if you’re part of management that you’re getting your hands just as dirty as you expect your partners to.

Love you!