As the semester continues and workloads increase, many students will find themselves working late into the night and sometimes early into the morning. The solution to this cycle of sleep deprivation is caffeine. The keepers of the caffeine, also known as baristas, work tirelessly to keep students and community members fueled and functional.
Josie Nauman is a fourth-year graduate student pursuing a master’s in business administration and was recently made a manager at Brenen’s Café, located at 38 S. Court St.
“You’re either just making coffee, making food or running the orders and getting those together,” Nauman said, referring to the daily responsibilities of the job.
Eli Nisly, a junior studying playwriting, is responsible for a similar set of duties while working at the Campus Cafes.
“I like taking people’s orders, I love talking to people,” Nisly said. “I do like making drinks too but sometimes it’s just OK. I don’t like cleaning, that’s the most challenging thing.”
Nisly currently works at the South Side Espresso Bar but occasionally gets sent to work in other cafes on campus. This versatility of location grants him a unique relationship with his coworkers.
“You work with a lot of different people from all over, from a lot of different majors,” he said. “You work with so many different people, it’s not just the same couple because a lot of people cover shifts or you get sent somewhere else so you get to meet a lot of new coworkers.”
As with any job, coworkers are a major influence on the atmosphere of the shops. Tommy Ingraham is a recent Ohio University graduate and works at Donkey Coffee, located at 17 W. Washington St. Ingraham’s coworkers encourage a very understanding work environment in the endlessly busy coffee shop.
“It can be very overwhelming sometimes, and knowing when to be like, ‘OK, I need to go step aside instead of just dealing with it’ is something I’m not very good at … but being here with coworkers who are open to that … helps,” Ingraham said.
Each coffee shop in Athens has a set of distinguishing qualities. One of the main things making Brenen’s unique is its standing as an OU alumni-owned business.
“Our bosses have owned this place for 27 years,” Nauman said. “They went here, they met here and they’re just great people. They really try to help out the community.”
This community-focused idea creates a palpably uplifting energy behind the coffee and deli counters.
“We have a very good vibe … here that I think people can see and it resonates when we’re giving orders or taking them,” Nauman said. “They can see that although we may not want to be working or if we’re having a bad day … it doesn’t really get to any of us and we have a good environment where we can pick each other up.”
Ingraham finds the curated ambience of Donkey to be its own specialty, one not listed on the menu.
“I think the atmosphere here is really nice, it’s very inclusive and welcoming,” he said. “There’s a lot of art and music too which I think most of the other coffee shops don’t really have, so I think that’s the big draw for me.”
All three baristas have found enjoyment in their work; Nisly enjoyed his first year as a barista so much that he went home for the summer and started working at another coffee shop.
All of the baristas also learned lessons they can take with them in future careers. For example, Nauman has learned to practice patience with people who “need to be told things a couple of times to understand.”
Ingraham’s favorite part of the job is the simple pleasure at the core of barista work.
“I like making little treats for people and making their day a little better,” Ingraham said.
