Mika Ellison: A coffee shop is the quintessential college spot.
[Brewbike nat sound]
Mika Ellison: Almost more iconic than a classroom or a lecture hall, coffee shops are the backbone of college society. Students and professors alike spend hours of their time in the various establishments scattered around Evanston.
[more coffee shop nat sound]
As the midpoint of the year approaches, new students might find themselves asking one crucial question:
Mika Ellison: Am I like, a regular here?
But what exactly, is a regular? And is it really as great as it’s cracked up to be? I asked two former student baristas and one seasoned regular to find out.
[more coffee shop nat sound]
Olatunji Osho-Williams: I think it’s a personality that makes someone a regular. I think it’s like, how they carry themselves.
Medill senior Olatunji Osho-Williams was a barista in Cafe Bergson, the cafe space in Main Library, for two years. He’s seen his fair share of customers, and he even considers himself a regular at a local coffee shop. According to him, the criteria for being a regular is pretty simple:
OO: I think the biggest thing is that they like spell your name correctly, and they don’t really need to ask you again. And they usually get the same thing every time.
But there’s another type of regular that seems like a level up from the.. Regular regulars. Regular premium, if you will. Instead of just being a consistent presence, they become a character in a barista’s life, whether it’s due to a certain personality or a particularly unique order.
OO: I had another dude, less dramatic, he was just, he would order a he would order a cortado. And it was annoying, because I never liked making cortados, one, because I wasn’t great on it at it, if I’m gonna be honest. But two, it just seemed kind of lame, because I don’t understand the point of getting a cortado. Because, like, the one time I ever ordered a cortado was when I was lacking dining dollars. It was the cheapest option. But this dude came in specifically, like, Can I get a cortado? And I’m just like, first of all, relax. Second of all, sure.
In this case, being a regular is less about consistency and more about a flair for the dramatic; making an impression can level up your regular status.
Olatunji Osho-Williams: There’s one dude that I remember, and he would always order like, a double shot of espresso. He’s a very serious man. He looked very dramatic, too, like he could be on, like, the set, or like the in the cast of Vikings,
Weinberg junior Winnie Wang, another former Cafe Bergson barista, mentioned what actually might be the same regular.
Winnie Wang: now we chat whenever we see each other, which is cool, but I knew him by his order, because he he always got one shot of espresso just straight up, which is crazy,
A lot of the allure of being a regular comes from the idea that you’re more than just a normal customer – you’re a cool customer. Wang doesn’t disagree with that idea, but if you’re thinking that being an official Regular means your barista is also your bestie, you might be making a mountain from a molehill.
WW: I mean, I just think it’s a little fun. I think if I like the regular and we really click, then that’s great. It’s like seeing another friend in a in, like, a specific environment. But it doesn’t matter super much to me whether they exist or not.
[more coffee shop nat sound?]
But what about the bona fide regulars? Wang is now a regular at the current cafe in Cafe Bergson — she described how even a quick exchange with someone who remembers you can feel all warm and fuzzy.
WW: I feel like I’m a regular here at at whatever it’s called now, because one of the baristas, they’re always chats with me, and she’ll be like, Oh, how is like, whatever going? And I’m like, you remember, it’s so nice. I’m not even here that often, so it’s really nice.
McCormick senior Paloma Lee is an established regular at Coffee Lab, where her benefits are more than just emotional.
Paloma Lee: I feel like it’s nice because they know you and like, they have a reward system, but I don’t like their drip coffee, and they know that. But because I have so many points, they give me my like americano for free when I use my points,
What’s Lee’s secret to this familiarity? Just a simple adherence to routine and a willingness to engage in conversation.
PL: Just go to Coffee Lab around the same time for a quarter and then talk to the people. Yeah, they’re pretty nice.
In fact, being a regular could even get you a job.
WW: I was a regular at brew before I was hired.
And after all, if a coffee shop is college’s most quintessential spot, trying to be employed its most quintessential struggle.
[coffee shop ambience]
For WNUR News, I’m Mika Ellison.
