Setting: Cafés
Does your book include a café setting? Here are some real-life ideas you could incorporate into your story based on my own experience working behind the counter of a local bakeshop.
Physical Layout
If you need help accurately setting the scene, this was the layout of the shop where I worked.
The front
Tables & chairs
A padded booth
Two extra comfy chairs by the window
A coffee station
Bread shelves
A classy chandelier above the counter
An ice cream freezer
Two display cases for baked goods
A counter that held the cash register and customer loyalty cards. We kept a basket of ribbon underneath the cash register to tie pretty bows on cupcake to-go containers.
Behind the counter (still in the front of the shop)
Coffee urns
A row of syrups
The coffee maker and espresso machine
A milk cooler
A larger cooler that held the sandwich ingredients and had a long cutting board attached
Dishes and to-go containers
A swinging door that led between the front of the shop and the kitchen
The back
Giant stainless steel countertops
An industrial dishwasher
A big sink - I could have hoisted myself over the lip and sat in it
A huge freezer
A massive oven for bread, buns, and goodies
A tiny toaster oven where we’d make breakfast sandwiches
A microwave
A recipe book
Recycling bins
Shelves of ingredients
A walk-in cooler
A desk
A small janitor’s closet
Duties
If you have a character who works in a café setting, here are some of the tasks they could expect to have on their to-do list each day:
Making coffee: One of the first things I had to do when I arrived in the morning. The task was ongoing throughout the day. I would also whip up fancier drinks – lattes, cappuccinos, London fogs, etc.
Make sandwiches: We had a sandwich cooler behind the counter where we stored fresh meats, vegetables, cheese and condiments. This was an overwhelming post during a lunch rush. People custom-ordered their sandwiches and they could be time-consuming to make. We would hang the slips of papers with people’s orders on hooks above the cooler/cutting board and rip them off as we finished preparing them.
Serving treats: There were two big display cases full of delicious goodies. We specialized in cupcakes, but also served donuts, strudels, squares, brownies, and cookies. The simple act of taking out a sweet treat for someone and slipping it into a brown bag or setting it on a plate was one of my favorite parts of the job.
Bagging bread: We would let the daily loaves cool on large racks, then bag them and put them on the shelf. It smelled SO good. If you accidentally bagged them too soon, the warm bread would fill the plastic bags with condensation and you’d have to pull them out and re-bag them. It was a pain in the butt.
Answer the phone & take advance orders: I think I remember answering the phone in a fake accent once, just to see if I could fool the person on the other end of the line. As far as I know, I pulled it off!
Wipe down the display cases and tables: This was onerous. People were constantly coming along and smudging up my fine work with their sweaty fingers, but it was nice when everything was gleaming.
Sweep & mop: Every day. Sometimes more than once.
Bathrooms: This sounds weird, but the bathrooms were actually one of my favourite parts of the bakeshop. They were so clean and peaceful, with artwork from community members hanging on the walls. I didn’t love cleaning them, but I took pride in keeping them well-maintained.
Wipe out the sandwich and milk cooler: This was done at the end of each day. I would also top up the ingredients so that we’d have a full stock for the next day.
Common Accidents
Closing fingers in the display case: The display cases had sliding doors that you could pull to the side, allowing you to reach in and retrieve a customer’s selection. If you were in a rush, you might slam the door quickly and catch your fingers between it and the side of the case. This was a wildly painful experience. On a pain scale of 1-10, the first few seconds were definitely an 11. It was hard not to crumple and shout expletives in front of the waiting customer.
Spilling scalding milk on your hand: This happened to me while there was a line of customers waiting. I had steamed a steel pitcher of eggnog for an eggnog latte and because I was in a rush, it ended up going over my hand and onto the floor. I literally cried. Would not recommend spilling scalding anything on yourself, ever.
Ruined batches of goodies: I remember one glorious day when the kitchen staff accidentally overbaked a pan of my favourite squares. They weren’t completely burnt, but they couldn’t be sold either. I went home that day with a greasy brown bag FULL of my favorite squares, slightly overbaked. I was SO happy for my job that day.
Uncommon Accidents
Overcharging: Once, I accidentally hit the double zero button while manually entering the price of something in the cash register and ended up charging the customer thousands of dollars by accident (I think it was over $10,000). Fortunately, they caught the mistake before they put the payment through on their credit card!
Getting “locked” in the cooler: I was new and inexperienced. I let the door of the walk-in cooler close behind me. When I turned around, I was horrified to find that there was no handle on the inside. I started pounding on the door in panic. My boss came and opened it in bemusement. “Just push on it,” she told me. Sure enough, all I had needed to do was shove the door with my shoulder and it would pop open. I was so embarrassed.
Pet Peeves
Here are a few things that got under my skin as a member of the staff:
Certain songs on the radio (which was on all day in the background)
Customers pointing to something we’re selling and asking: “Is this any good?” (My boss once replied in annoyance, “No, it tastes like sh*t.”)
Customers who come in five minutes before closing and make a large and/or messy order - ESPECIALLY if it’s winter and they track in snow and salt over your freshly mopped floor.
Customer Types
Last but not least, here are a few classic customer types you can count on in the service industry:
The regulars: These are the customers who show up every week. You know what they were going to order before they even get to the counter. You know about their life outside of the café and they know about yours.
The grumps: I remember a woman coming in on her lunch break. She was in a terrible mood. She started filling out one of our sandwich forms, but when she found out we didn’t have any roast beef, she crumpled the paper up and literally threw it at my coworker. It was pretty rude, but who knows? Maybe she was having a crap day and just really needed a roast beef sandwich to get her through it.
The encouragers: It was always such a nice feeling when customers were kind and appreciative. This is something we could all keep in mind the next time we’re at a coffee shop or restaurant. A smile and a kind word can go a long way.
These are just some preliminary thoughts. If you’d like any other ideas, feel free to comment below.