RULE 33

Your barista is your chef, server, and therapist.

Being a barista requires a tremendous amount of emotional labor and social IQ.

It’s kind of a weird gig, when you think about it! When you walk up to the bar in a modern cafe, it’s a barista behind the register who takes your order (this is just the register part of their shift). Then it’s a barista who physically creates the drink you’ve selected, combining diffuse ingredients in a style not unlike that of a great bartender or chef. While all this is happening, you might chat with the staff about your day—where you’re headed after coffee, how you’re feeling about that big work presentation, or what your kid dressed as for Halloween.

There is no real demarcation of labor—the server is the chef is the maître d’. It’s a hybrid role that can be incredibly demanding for those who perform it, and it requires a tremendous amount of emotional labor and social IQ to survive. And yet there are those who love it. It’s an exhausting and exhilarating job, and we feel strongly that the negative stereotypes around baristas—while sometimes totally true (see Rule 35)—should be countered with a more rounded appreciation and empathy toward the barista.

Being a barista isn’t especially hard, but being a good barista—one who can balance the social needs of the role with a laser-focused execution that honors the coffee itself—is a high-wire act of the highest order.