Northern Baristas Brace Against the Cold

February’s end is finding many parts of the northern to mid-US enduring near freezing temperatures, at least at night. This means that many of our drive-through coffee shop employees are facing very uncomfortable working conditions in order to prepare and serve our favorite morning commute beverages. Katie Utehs visited one such shop in Spokane, Washington, where the wind added to the cold conditions. Every time a customer drives up and the window has to open, the Dutch Bros. shop employees feel the icy wind whip through. Space heaters and warm clothing help, but in the early morning and late night hours, that’s a freezing wind with the wind-chill factor. At their busiest times in the early morning, the windows are continually open, so the barista is constantly facing that wind. But the coffee must be served, through wind, sleet, snow and ice. The Dutch Bros. servers remarked that even though service was a bit slower, they were still surprised at how many drivers were out and going about their normal business. The lucky ones stayed at home rather than brave the cold. It’s probably hard for the folks down in the southern third of the country to imagine, but this has been a cold winter for the northern drive-throughs. If you live in the cold, give your barista an extra hearty thank you (and tip) during this weather. Hopefully spring is just around the corner and it will warm up soon. Meanwhile, why not keep warm with one of ROASTe’s wintry warm-up coffees?