Night Crew
Working closing weekend shifts at Starbucks has led me to look beyond my own identity, and it created a community for me to which I belong, night crew. However, a few years back in 2015, I used to work as a shift manager at another company and honestly, I hated my job. I was unhappy; I would dread going to work. It was not until September 2016 that I applied to Starbucks and got offered a job opportunity. I was hired as an outside shift supervisor. I remember thinking how will I ever get adjusted to making all the beverages and the new expectations of running the floor. Just like any new hire, I struggled. I quickly trained in a high volume store, and as soon as my training was done, I was sent over to a brand new store in Norwalk, California. At the time I was shy, and I had a flexible schedule that allowed me to work at any given time or day. I got to experience working throughout the different time frames, for example, busy mornings, mid-day shifts, and profound cleaning closing shifts. Fast forward to June 2017 I started to strictly working night shifts and only weekends which consisted of coming in at 4:00 pm and clocking off at midnight. Continually working these night shifts with the same two people have created a cultural phenomenon. This cultural phenomenon has been carefully developing for almost a year now; our group has formed a bond full of peculiar behaviors. Throughout this essay, my goal will be to share with you my observations that I have developed from my point of view as a crew member and from the perspective of our customers. You will receive insight on my crew's behavior and how it defines its own identity through my observations, field notes, and exclusive interviews.
I work at a drive-thru Starbucks in Norwalk, California. This store is located at a busy five-way intersection with a shopping center, Midas automotive center, and a few schools nearby. I decided to stop by on a Wednesday evening, my day off so that I can get a good feel for the store's vibe. The area has a large homeless community so as I am stepping out my car I am greeted by a few of the regular homeless people that hang out behind out trash area located in the rear of the store. As I continue to walk in and open the door, I notice the lighting change from the bright outdoors to a dimmed warm light. An open refrigerator greets me with a sign saying "Chill Wall" which contains cold-pressed juices, teas, bottled cold brew, and fruit pouches for children. I also see a glass pastry case and under there is another open mini fridge that contains some delicious looking snack items like protein boxes, yogurts, and string cheese. I look up to the ceiling, and I see an all the vents colored in a dark brown paint; this gives the store a modern industrial look. There is a long high rectangular shape table with 4 bar stools on each side. Everyone seems to have to move around this table to reach the register to order. I can hear one of my favorite songs "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster The People faintly playing over the speakers. I start to groove my shoulders side to side to the beat as I wave hello a few of my coworkers. I suddenly stop because I hear the oven beeping very loud. By now I have reached the register. I understand some high-school students chatting in the background a few tables down, and I overhear the older couple beside me in line deciding if they want to share a pastry or to get one for each other. I can smell the scent of freshly brewed coffee, reminds me of when I am home walking up early on Sunday morning, and my mom is already up brewing coffee. I can also smell the stickiness of the cinnamon bun that appears to have come out the beeping oven. I can touch the cold marbled surface on the register counter as I order my drink before I take a seat. I ordered my regular beverage and proceeded to take a seat at the nearest table to the drink hand-off plane. The notice the store is empty inside, but as I gaze out the window, the drive-thru looks active because I can see a line starting to form outside. I hear my name get called out followed by the name of my beverage. I get up to receive my drink; I thank Francisco. I take the first sip, and I should've waited a bit because I got a burnt feeling on my tongue now. Francisco notices my face and asks if my drink is okay I mention to him that it was my fault I was too eager to take that first sip of caffeine, but I thank him again for his concern.
Now it is Saturday, and I am scheduled to work. I have clocked in the back room; I am ready to work. Instantly, I notice the previous shift supervisor on the floor rush to me before I step on the floor. They brief me down on what has been going on the shift and hand over the store keys. Now I am in charge. Once I am on the floor, I notice a fellow barista swiftly returning to the drive-thru area after taking a panini from the beeping oven. I reach over the pastry cart by the oven to check who needs a break and I get distracted by lingering smell of pesto from the panini. My co-workers moving around engaged in their role defines the place with a sense of urgency. As a team, we are all working together to exceed the expectations of the customers by working fast and accurately making beverages. I observe the unique patterns among my coworkers. I notice Francisco whistling to the beat of the song playing in the background while he is making drinks, I know he whistles when he is overwhelmed on the bar, and that is his hint to me to help him clear out some drinks. Joseph is on drive-thru he acts in a friendly bubbly way when taking orders. When he is on drive-thru, he is continually trying to up-sell pastries along with drinks. I notice that Francisco is calling out names when drinks are ready, and he is repeatedly saying "Thank you, Enjoy! Let me know how you like it?" Joseph is greeting everyone the same way over the headset, "Thanks for choosing our Starbucks..." Since we all wear headsets, I also notice that in the midst of all the rush and in between guest we are making vine referenced jokes to keep the mood between us happy and smiley. We have cleaning task that must be done throughout the night so whenever we get a chance we clean. I have a quote that I always tell the night crew which is "If there is time to lean, there is time to clean" They respect that I have my task that needs to be done, so we value any free time.
With that being said, once the rush died down, and we got most of our cleaning done I proceeded to interview. I know that both Francisco and Joseph have worked all three shifts, so I asked them through the headsets why do they prefer night weekend shifts? Francisco mentioned because he prefers the regular customers we have at night and that he has built a bond with some, so he looks forward to catching up with them when they come in. Joseph said because he is in college this shift works best with his schedule and it is a plus that we have grown to admire one another, so he looks forward to reciting his jokes and make us laugh. They both mentioned that they could not be themselves when they work a different shift. I think this is because we all believe in respecting one another. As we were chatting, it was now 9:15 pm and one of our regulars Mark came in, he is a tall, white, late 50's math teacher. From across the room, I hear Joseph excitingly shout "Hey Mark!" and Francisco immediately starts on his drink. I rush to the register to greet Mark and ring him up for his usual drink, a triple espresso with one raw sugar by the time he is finished paying his drink already done waiting for him at the hand-off plane. Mark is a man of hardly any words, very private, but I figured he would be my best option for interviewing. Through the headset, I tell the guys "cover me; I need to talk to Mark." I sat with Mark, and since our store has only been open for less than two years, I asked him if he had another Starbucks he would go to for his coffee. He said yes he would go to the one down a few blocks from us but ever since we opened, he preferred our store because we are closest to his home. I also asked Mark how often he attends Starbucks. He said twice a day a store in Bell Gardens, CA near his job he will stop by for a quick snack and then in the evenings; he will come to our store for his usual drink. He said if it is a weekday he usually comes to purchase his drink through drive-thru but on the weekends he prefers to go in because he likes us, the night crew. He mentioned that we are nice. I then asked him why he thinks we are nice; he said well that time I got in a car accident Joseph placed a concern on his health and Francisco is always asking him how his teachings are going. Mark finished by saying I am nice because I still have a smile on and never act overwhelmed. As I was interviewing Mark, another supervisor from our store, Vanessa happened to come in for tea. She was sitting a table down from us and was listening to my conversation with Mark after the interview she walked into the back room to compliment me oh how I approached the situation, and she wanted to let me know she recognized my good intentions.
In conclusion, while observing my workplace community, I noticed that we all share the struggle of college and our personal lives. We get excited to come to work every weekend and reunite, chat about our weekday activities, and get to see our regulars. I think what defines us as night crew is that for almost a year now we have encountered some funny scenarios at our store that have brought us closer together. We're not just co-workers; we are like a family.
Working closing weekend shifts at Starbucks has led me to look beyond my own identity, and it created a community for me to which I belong, night crew. However, a few years back in 2015, I used to work as a shift manager at another company and honestly, I hated my job. I was unhappy; I would dread going to work. It was not until September 2016 that I applied to Starbucks and got offered a job opportunity. I was hired as an outside shift supervisor. I remember thinking how will I ever get adjusted to making all the beverages and the new expectations of running the floor. Just like any new hire, I struggled. I quickly trained in a high volume store, and as soon as my training was done, I was sent over to a brand new store in Norwalk, California. At the time I was shy, and I had a flexible schedule that allowed me to work at any given time or day. I got to experience working throughout the different time frames, for example, busy mornings, mid-day shifts, and profound cleaning closing shifts. Fast forward to June 2017 I started to strictly working night shifts and only weekends which consisted of coming in at 4:00 pm and clocking off at midnight. Continually working these night shifts with the same two people have created a cultural phenomenon. This cultural phenomenon has been carefully developing for almost a year now; our group has formed a bond full of peculiar behaviors. Throughout this essay, my goal will be to share with you my observations that I have developed from my point of view as a crew member and from the perspective of our customers. You will receive insight on my crew's behavior and how it defines its own identity through my observations, field notes, and exclusive interviews.
I work at a drive-thru Starbucks in Norwalk, California. This store is located at a busy five-way intersection with a shopping center, Midas automotive center, and a few schools nearby. I decided to stop by on a Wednesday evening, my day off so that I can get a good feel for the store's vibe. The area has a large homeless community so as I am stepping out my car I am greeted by a few of the regular homeless people that hang out behind out trash area located in the rear of the store. As I continue to walk in and open the door, I notice the lighting change from the bright outdoors to a dimmed warm light. An open refrigerator greets me with a sign saying "Chill Wall" which contains cold-pressed juices, teas, bottled cold brew, and fruit pouches for children. I also see a glass pastry case and under there is another open mini fridge that contains some delicious looking snack items like protein boxes, yogurts, and string cheese. I look up to the ceiling, and I see an all the vents colored in a dark brown paint; this gives the store a modern industrial look. There is a long high rectangular shape table with 4 bar stools on each side. Everyone seems to have to move around this table to reach the register to order. I can hear one of my favorite songs "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster The People faintly playing over the speakers. I start to groove my shoulders side to side to the beat as I wave hello a few of my coworkers. I suddenly stop because I hear the oven beeping very loud. By now I have reached the register. I understand some high-school students chatting in the background a few tables down, and I overhear the older couple beside me in line deciding if they want to share a pastry or to get one for each other. I can smell the scent of freshly brewed coffee, reminds me of when I am home walking up early on Sunday morning, and my mom is already up brewing coffee. I can also smell the stickiness of the cinnamon bun that appears to have come out the beeping oven. I can touch the cold marbled surface on the register counter as I order my drink before I take a seat. I ordered my regular beverage and proceeded to take a seat at the nearest table to the drink hand-off plane. The notice the store is empty inside, but as I gaze out the window, the drive-thru looks active because I can see a line starting to form outside. I hear my name get called out followed by the name of my beverage. I get up to receive my drink; I thank Francisco. I take the first sip, and I should've waited a bit because I got a burnt feeling on my tongue now. Francisco notices my face and asks if my drink is okay I mention to him that it was my fault I was too eager to take that first sip of caffeine, but I thank him again for his concern.
Now it is Saturday, and I am scheduled to work. I have clocked in the back room; I am ready to work. Instantly, I notice the previous shift supervisor on the floor rush to me before I step on the floor. They brief me down on what has been going on the shift and hand over the store keys. Now I am in charge. Once I am on the floor, I notice a fellow barista swiftly returning to the drive-thru area after taking a panini from the beeping oven. I reach over the pastry cart by the oven to check who needs a break and I get distracted by lingering smell of pesto from the panini. My co-workers moving around engaged in their role defines the place with a sense of urgency. As a team, we are all working together to exceed the expectations of the customers by working fast and accurately making beverages. I observe the unique patterns among my coworkers. I notice Francisco whistling to the beat of the song playing in the background while he is making drinks, I know he whistles when he is overwhelmed on the bar, and that is his hint to me to help him clear out some drinks. Joseph is on drive-thru he acts in a friendly bubbly way when taking orders. When he is on drive-thru, he is continually trying to up-sell pastries along with drinks. I notice that Francisco is calling out names when drinks are ready, and he is repeatedly saying "Thank you, Enjoy! Let me know how you like it?" Joseph is greeting everyone the same way over the headset, "Thanks for choosing our Starbucks..." Since we all wear headsets, I also notice that in the midst of all the rush and in between guest we are making vine referenced jokes to keep the mood between us happy and smiley. We have cleaning task that must be done throughout the night so whenever we get a chance we clean. I have a quote that I always tell the night crew which is "If there is time to lean, there is time to clean" They respect that I have my task that needs to be done, so we value any free time.
With that being said, once the rush died down, and we got most of our cleaning done I proceeded to interview. I know that both Francisco and Joseph have worked all three shifts, so I asked them through the headsets why do they prefer night weekend shifts? Francisco mentioned because he prefers the regular customers we have at night and that he has built a bond with some, so he looks forward to catching up with them when they come in. Joseph said because he is in college this shift works best with his schedule and it is a plus that we have grown to admire one another, so he looks forward to reciting his jokes and make us laugh. They both mentioned that they could not be themselves when they work a different shift. I think this is because we all believe in respecting one another. As we were chatting, it was now 9:15 pm and one of our regulars Mark came in, he is a tall, white, late 50's math teacher. From across the room, I hear Joseph excitingly shout "Hey Mark!" and Francisco immediately starts on his drink. I rush to the register to greet Mark and ring him up for his usual drink, a triple espresso with one raw sugar by the time he is finished paying his drink already done waiting for him at the hand-off plane. Mark is a man of hardly any words, very private, but I figured he would be my best option for interviewing. Through the headset, I tell the guys "cover me; I need to talk to Mark." I sat with Mark, and since our store has only been open for less than two years, I asked him if he had another Starbucks he would go to for his coffee. He said yes he would go to the one down a few blocks from us but ever since we opened, he preferred our store because we are closest to his home. I also asked Mark how often he attends Starbucks. He said twice a day a store in Bell Gardens, CA near his job he will stop by for a quick snack and then in the evenings; he will come to our store for his usual drink. He said if it is a weekday he usually comes to purchase his drink through drive-thru but on the weekends he prefers to go in because he likes us, the night crew. He mentioned that we are nice. I then asked him why he thinks we are nice; he said well that time I got in a car accident Joseph placed a concern on his health and Francisco is always asking him how his teachings are going. Mark finished by saying I am nice because I still have a smile on and never act overwhelmed. As I was interviewing Mark, another supervisor from our store, Vanessa happened to come in for tea. She was sitting a table down from us and was listening to my conversation with Mark after the interview she walked into the back room to compliment me oh how I approached the situation, and she wanted to let me know she recognized my good intentions.
In conclusion, while observing my workplace community, I noticed that we all share the struggle of college and our personal lives. We get excited to come to work every weekend and reunite, chat about our weekday activities, and get to see our regulars. I think what defines us as night crew is that for almost a year now we have encountered some funny scenarios at our store that have brought us closer together. We're not just co-workers; we are like a family.