The woman at the cafe who only drank drip coffee from a gas station thermos

I was standing in line at a local shop in Portland last month, and this woman behind me started talking about her morning ritual. She told me she brings her own gas station thermos because she thinks $6 pour-overs are a waste of money. But then she admitted she comes to this cafe every day just to smell the beans and watch the barista work. So which side wins - the experience or the actual drink? Has anyone else met someone who seems to be in two different camps at once?

3 comments

3 Comments

sullivan.quinn14d ago

Met someone exactly like this at a farmers market a few years back. Guy had this beat up old Stanley thermos he'd refill at the 7-Eleven down the street, but he'd drive 20 minutes out of his way to sit on this specific bench outside a roastery and watch the morning rush. He told me it was about the ritual, not the taste. He liked the habit of seeing people happy with their fancy drinks but wanted his coffee to be predictable and cheap. Eventually I figured out what he meant - I started buying whole beans from that roastery but brewing them at home in a $10 Mr. Coffee. Got the best of both worlds, the nice smell and the control over my own cup without paying cafe prices every day.

patel.morgan14d ago

The "predictable and cheap" part hit home, @sullivan.quinn. My buddy Jared used to buy a $5 latte every single morning on his way to work. One day he just snapped, started bringing instant coffee in a thermos and refused to step foot in a cafe for months. But he still missed the vibe, you know? So he started driving to the Starbucks parking lot, sitting in his car, and sipping his instant coffee while watching people go in and out. He said it was the same feeling without the guilt of spending four bucks.

thomasb4114d ago

5 miles across town to sit in a parking lot watching people go into Starbucks is next-level dedication to a vibe lol. So was Jared actually happy with that setup or did he just find a way to fake it and call it even? Feels like there's a fine line between appreciating the ritual and just going through the motions to avoid admitting you miss the old habit.