What It Was Like to Work as a Barista During The Pandemic
“Sir, do you have a mask on you?”
“You have to wear a mask in here.”
“I’m sorry ma’am, you still can’t use our restroom.”
“No, I’m not smiling under my mask.”
These were a few of the sentences I said during the few months I worked as a barista last summer, only months after the pandemic began. These sentences, though, became a daily occurrence — and let me tell you, it was incredibly frustrating.
I had been a barista for about 5 months before the pandemic began, which closed the coffee shop I worked at temporarily before reopening that summer. Now, before the pandemic, this was a job I loved. I would regularly pick up coworker's shifts and take on as many hours as I was able to because I truly enjoyed being there. The people were often kind, the busyness of the atmosphere always kept me on my toes, and I made some wonderful connections.
However, that aforementioned summer was one of the worst of my life, and I ended up dreading going to work almost every day I was there. By the end of my time there, I was only working a day or two a week. And truthfully, it wasn’t even because I wanted to be there, but because I felt like I needed to be there for my own mental sanity — as a quarantined human being for three months and remote student on top of that, I was bursting at the seams just to talk to people in person again. But even that got tested time and time again.
When I first went back, it was oddly quiet. I had been used to slinging out hundreds of coffee orders a day in this small but busy city — but on my first day back, I believe I only rang up about 20 orders (I would soon find myself excited if I even rang up to 30 orders a shift). The streets were truly emptier than I thought they would be, and honestly, being in the middle of the emptiness somehow felt weirder than staying home all day. By the end of my time at that job, working remotely just didn’t seem so bad compared to working a job where barely anyone came through the doors.
Now, about the people who actually came through the doors… in a nutshell? People were either absolutely lovely or complete assholes. I found that there was very little in between.
What I mean by this is that someone would either leave a $20 tip, or they would get angry with me because our bathroom was closed to the public. Someone would either come in and strike up a fun conversation, or they would say the world’s gone mad because we required customers wear masks.
The world felt very black and white while I worked there. People were on one side of the fence or the other, and it was just blatantly obvious, whether by how they spoke to staff members or if they would try to openly disregard the rules the business and state had put in place.
As someone behind the counter, honestly, it was incredibly draining. Pre-pandemic, I used to go home from this job and do homework or meet up with friends right after I got off my shift. But during the pandemic? I would go home, kick off my shoes, and flop on the couch for at least an hour or so just to collect myself.
Despite what some may think, being a barista was never an easy job. But it became a lot more difficult to bear during the pandemic, whether it was because of the arguments with customers or the daily worry of contracting the virus. This job was simply not the same one I had once loved.
Now, as I mentioned, it certainly wasn’t all bad. There were people who truly appreciated those behind the counter and the ability to have a puzzle piece of their regular days back. I know that I felt grateful for that as a staff member.
A few months after I restarted the job, the cafe ended up shutting down. I was simultaneously saddened and relieved. Since then, I’ve now begun working remotely full-time. Like anything, that too has its ups and downs. I’ve missed seeing people (in real life) on a daily basis, but I also don’t miss the fear of getting into an argument with an unruly customer or being bored after spending a shift hardly doing my job.
As much as I enjoyed my job pre-pandemic, it was, well, pre-pandemic. A new normal is emerging, and I’m curious — albeit a bit scared — to see what our future will be like as we start to shake off the pandemic dust. But even as the pandemic begins to loosen its grip in the U.S., I certainly don’t see myself working as a barista again anytime soon — if ever.
*As an ending note, I want to mention that I fully acknowledge that everyone’s experiences during the pandemic have been different. I’m simply sharing what it was like for me as a barista during the pandemic, but of course, your experience as a front-line worker might have been different. I’d love to hear about your experiences and thoughts in the responses!
