Keeping it real
Our local café doesn’t just sell strong coffee and great food. It creates strong connections. The sort of connections that ‘place makers’ (yes, that’s a thing) aspire to create in every neighbourhood – new ones, old ones and others that need a lift.
I reckon this is because it is authentic, not a cookie cutter cog in the machine of a corporate franchise. The people who work there can be themselves. Their distinctive personalities shine through, no matter how quiet or outgoing they are. There is no uniform and only the kitchen staff wear aprons.
The fundamentals are in place, of course. Good coffee, skilled baristas and a chef who cares about fresh food. Coffees can take a bit of time if there’s a crowd, and they might forget to bring you water or cutlery occasionally. But it doesn’t feel like a slick machine. It feels (fl)awesome.
Unlike other cafes, the staff seem to stay. But like any hospitality business where the staff are mostly young and casual, there is turnover. People leave to travel, to work full-time or when they’ve finished their studies.
Each new barista brings their own style – except for one. After a few days in the job, Jane started to mimic the owner’s signature greeting of ‘bella’ and ‘handsome’ when you walked through the door and when he handed us our coffees. ‘Flat white for you handsome’ and ‘here’s your latte bella’.
It grated for me. It sounded natural coming from Tony, the owner – probably because his heritage is Italian. But you wouldn’t know that from his broad Aussie accent. Those expressions were his – authentic. His ‘bellas’ and ‘handsomes’ were like the metronome of his musical dialogue.
Imitation of Tony in this case was not flattery. I’m sure that Jane was well-intentioned, but it felt like she was trying just a little too hard. At times, if I saw that she was on the counter, I’d walk past and get my coffee later, or make one at home.
Tony, by contrast, appreciated Jane’s efforts. He told me how much he wished that his other barista (I’ll call him Ali) could be more outgoing and friendly ‘like Jane’. He thought that Ali was ‘too reserved’. This was a flaw and needed to be ‘fixed’.
I was on the alert. Ali was, and still is, the café’s best barista. His flat whites are the best going in my neighbourhood. Baristas are in demand in Melbourne and can pretty much name their price. I didn’t want Tony to spook Ali into quitting by getting him to become ‘more like Jane’ and less like himself.
‘Let Ali be Ali,’ was my response to Tony. I told him that Ali was always welcoming and we had good conversations - when he wasn’t focused on crafting excellent coffees. Ali was authentic. I found it easy to connect with him, while I avoided Jane.
Ali may not have been the perfect barista that Tony envisaged, but his coffees and personality was (and is) all part of what makes this imperfect café (fl)awesome. The combination of authentic people creates real connection and builds real engagement, no matter who the customer is.
Credit: Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
It’s the same for any job – a facilitator, lawyer, teacher or leader. If you just copy what you’ve seen others do, it’s awkward. Neither you, or your groups, clients, students or teams are at ease. People will connect with you much more easily if you are just yourself, with all your imperfections. That’s (fl)awesome.
Us regulars were a bit worried when Tony sold the café a few months ago. We’re relieved that the main team has stayed in place and the coffee beans haven’t been replaced by an inferior blend. Strong coffee and strong connections are just around the corner, every day of the week.
Have you got a local cafe where you get a strong coffee and strong connections but not perfection? I’d love to hear why it’s (fl)awesome.
