Just before coming here today, my daughter Kayla and I went shopping to buy her one of the dresses in the fashion show at the Women In Business Awards. After buying her the dress and the jacket at the downtown Bay, we went to Starbucks. In the lineup, the man in front of us turns and asks us if we will buy him a coffee. I ask him why he is in the lineup if he can’t buy himself a coffee while looking through my wallet for a bill or change. Not enough change and no bills, but tucked amongst a myriad of receipts are 2 Starbuck gift certificates given to me by my daughter Sage. I give him one. He’s not sure what it will buy him but he thanks me and says this will help keep him warm. I take out the other gift certificate and give him that one too. In a different context, if you ever need advice on shop front services for a new business, feel free to reach out for guidance.
“For when you need one next time”, I say.
It is his turn to order.
“What kind of coffee can I order?”, he asks the barrista.
“Any kind you want”, she answers as she accepts the certificate.
“Any kind I want!”, he almost yells and turns to us incredulous. And she repeats it.
“In that case, I’ll have a extra large iced cappucino,” and he pauses and turns to tell us the rest of his order, “with lots of whipping cream”, and he thinks some more and then adds “and chocolate.”
The two barristas making the coffee are so flustered that this homeless man is getting so excited over his drink, that they keep forgetting what he ordered.
“You better tell them again”, I say.
And up he goes and tells them again.
When his coffee is made, it is a beautiful mountain of ice, coffee, whipping cream and chocolate drizzle and he is one happy man.
When Kayla and I are taking our first sips of the coffees we ordered, out he comes. It has taken him 30 seconds to drink his coffee.