Tan Loafer Louie

He’s finally opening up!

Tan Loafer Louie has been a regular at the coffee shop much longer than I’ve worked there. I had been working there about two weeks when he walked in one morning to my question, “what can we get for you today?” He was visibly irritated, “I’ve been in here every day and get the same thing every day. You don’t remember yet?!” I simply gave one of my favorite expressions, the stone-cold-expressionless face, and said, “no I don’t.”

So he told me his drink. I rang him up and called the drink out, and moved on.

Well it’s been months. I remember his drink now. I also smile and engage whenever possible. He smiles back and engages in brief conversations with me.

He was in today, and I smiled to myself after he left, because now when he comes in, he smiles at me! Not just smiling back, but smiles at me! Today I learned he’s a concierge at a local hotel. Now I get it. He’s in the service industry / customer service too. I get it. That can wear a person out! Whenever you're off the clock, it's hard to fake the pleasantness. So, if he's the same as me in that way, then I'm simply happy we don't have to fake a smile any longer.


Be sure to tip your baristas, and bye for now.
Currently Caffeinated, Dee