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The barista who called my 4-hour stay a 'squat' made me rethink my whole coffee shop routine
Been hitting the same shop in Portland for about a year now. I tip well, order refills, never camp on the prime outlets. Last Tuesday this new barista, maybe 22, slides my latte over and says 'you know this isn't a library, right? We got people waiting for tables.' I laughed thinking it was a joke. It wasn't. She pointed at a dude with a backpack who'd been hovering near my two-top for ten minutes. I packed up in about 90 seconds without finishing my drink. Felt weirdly embarrassed, like I got caught doing something wrong. But I've also seen the same crew of people park for 6 hours with one drip coffee. I get that small shops need turnover, but I'd argue there's a difference between hogging and just doing your job remotely. I've since switched to a bigger chain spot that doesn't care, but honestly the vibe is worse and the wifi is slower. Has anyone else had a barista straight up kick them out? How do you balance being a regular versus being a paying customer who still takes up space?
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ellis.victor1mo ago
Drove past my old haunt last week and saw the same guy who always brings his gaming laptop still planted in the corner booth, three hours in, same iced tea glass. The new barista didn't seem to mind him. Guess it's about who you know or how you look. I tried that whole remote work thing at a bookstore cafe once, bought a scone I didn't want just to sit for an hour, and the guy sweeping kept bumping my chair with the dustpan. Now I just work from my car with a hot pouch of coffee from 7-Eleven, parking spot's free, no one tells me to leave, though my back hates me by noon.
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