Mornings at the Coffee Shop (Encore)

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Speaker 1 The holidays can be a lot, can't they?

Speaker 1 For business owners especially, this time of year can go from cozy to chaotic. Fast.
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Speaker 1 Sign up for your free trial today at shopify.com/slash nothing much.

Speaker 1 That's shopify.com/slash nothing much.

Speaker 1 Welcome to bedtime stories for everyone

Speaker 1 in which

Speaker 1 nothing much happens.

Speaker 1 You feel good.

Speaker 1 And then

Speaker 1 you fall asleep.

Speaker 1 I'm Catherine Nikolai.

Speaker 1 I write and read all the stories you hear on Nothing Much Happens.

Speaker 1 Audio Engineering is by Bob Wittersheim.

Speaker 1 We are bringing you an encore episode tonight, meaning that this story originally aired at some point in the past. It could have been recorded with different equipment in a different location.

Speaker 1 And since I'm a person and not a computer, I sometimes sound just slightly different.

Speaker 1 But the stories are always soothing and family friendly. And our wishes for you are always deep rest and sweet dreams.

Speaker 1 Come rest your mind on my story.

Speaker 1 Let it catch just enough of your attention

Speaker 1 to keep the part of your brain that would otherwise chatter away at you busy.

Speaker 1 And you will fall asleep.

Speaker 1 As always, I'll tell the story twice, and I'll go a little slower the second time through.

Speaker 1 Our story tonight is called Mornings at the Coffee Shop.

Speaker 1 And it's a story about a cold day made warmer by a fresh cup of coffee made with care.

Speaker 1 It's also about twinkle lights reflecting on a shop window,

Speaker 1 a well-stocked pastry case,

Speaker 1 hospitality,

Speaker 1 and the connections that grow in a community.

Speaker 1 Now,

Speaker 1 turn out your light.

Speaker 1 Set everything down

Speaker 1 and snuggle deep into your sheets.

Speaker 1 Make yourself as comfortable

Speaker 1 as you can.

Speaker 1 You are exactly where you're supposed to be right now.

Speaker 1 Take a deep breath in through your nose

Speaker 1 and sigh through your mouth.

Speaker 1 One more time, breathe in

Speaker 1 and out

Speaker 1 good

Speaker 1 mornings at the coffee shop

Speaker 1 all was dark downtown

Speaker 1 as I pulled into the alley behind the coffee shop

Speaker 1 Well,

Speaker 1 the Christmas lights still twinkled on the storefronts

Speaker 1 and there was a light on at the bakery.

Speaker 1 But other than that, all was dark and cold.

Speaker 1 Gosh, it was a cold morning.

Speaker 1 We were in that part of winter when the temperature doesn't make it above freezing for weeks at a time.

Speaker 1 And most folks don't leave their house house without a good reason.

Speaker 1 But coffee is a very good reason.

Speaker 1 I hurried to the back door of the cafe

Speaker 1 and fumbled with my keys

Speaker 1 in my mittened hand.

Speaker 1 I did not want

Speaker 1 to take those mittens off.

Speaker 1 But getting the key in the lock took an unearthly degree of focus in the bitter cold.

Speaker 1 I took a steadying breath and lined it up and twisted till the lock gave

Speaker 1 and the door opened.

Speaker 1 I stepped through into the warm shop and locked the door again behind me.

Speaker 1 I stood still for a moment

Speaker 1 and let the chill shake out of me.

Speaker 1 We still had a tree up and decorated in our front window.

Speaker 1 And in the darkness it reflected prettily through the space.

Speaker 1 The colored lights bounced off the white marble tables

Speaker 1 And I hummed a Christmas song that was still stuck in my head

Speaker 1 While I unwound my scarf

Speaker 1 I hung my coat and wrappings on the rack in the back room

Speaker 1 and took a clean apron from the shelf.

Speaker 1 I wrapped it around myself,

Speaker 1 tying the strings in front and tucking a fresh towel through them.

Speaker 1 I folded back the cuffs of my shirt and rolled them a time or two

Speaker 1 and began to feel a bit more awake,

Speaker 1 a bit more human,

Speaker 1 and a bit more hospitable.

Speaker 1 I'd heard a news story once

Speaker 1 about a town somewhere, a little village on another continent,

Speaker 1 where they were known for something called radical hospitality.

Speaker 1 Guests, tourists,

Speaker 1 travelers were welcomed with such earnest warmth

Speaker 1 that their time there felt like a dream.

Speaker 1 And for the people of the village,

Speaker 1 it was a point of pride.

Speaker 1 None of it was put on.

Speaker 1 It wasn't a show.

Speaker 1 It was a core part

Speaker 1 of their culture.

Speaker 1 I'd pulled my car over to listen to the story.

Speaker 1 I'd been so gripped by it.

Speaker 1 It felt like it was expressing something I'd always felt,

Speaker 1 but hadn't had the words for.

Speaker 1 To make someone feel

Speaker 1 so welcome and cared for when they came into your house or shop or restaurant.

Speaker 1 Well, it felt very important to me too.

Speaker 1 And that's why I didn't mind opening my coffee shop on a freezing dark morning.

Speaker 1 I'd get to welcome people,

Speaker 1 to warm their bellies and spirits with our offerings.

Speaker 1 And that was always a pleasure and a duty I took seriously.

Speaker 1 But

Speaker 1 as the philosophers say

Speaker 1 coffee

Speaker 1 after all

Speaker 1 you cannot pour from an empty cup

Speaker 1 so I flicked on the lights over the espresso machine

Speaker 1 and set about filling mine

Speaker 1 sound of grinding beans filled the empty cafe

Speaker 1 and as I tamped the grounds

Speaker 1 and screwed the port-a-filter into the brewing head,

Speaker 1 I could smell the rich roasted scent.

Speaker 1 There was a hint of chocolate and a nuttiness like hazelnuts in the aroma.

Speaker 1 And as that first cup brewed with a thick, pale crema on top. My mouth watered in anticipation.

Speaker 1 Before the morning was out, I would have several cups.

Speaker 1 Probably one azalatte,

Speaker 1 one macchiato,

Speaker 1 and an Americano near the end of my shift.

Speaker 1 But this first one

Speaker 1 was just a plain shot that I sipped as soon as it was ready.

Speaker 1 I felt it lighting me up with warmth and energy.

Speaker 1 After the last sip, I slipped the cup into the washer

Speaker 1 and reset the machine for our first customer.

Speaker 1 I looked at the clock and realized that first customer would probably be here in just a few minutes.

Speaker 1 Luckily, closing staff did an excellent job of setting us up to open.

Speaker 1 It was part of our hospitality.

Speaker 1 It wasn't just for guests,

Speaker 1 but also for each other.

Speaker 1 When you came in, you'd find the person before you had left your station neat and prepped.

Speaker 1 The towels were clean and waiting in the dryer.

Speaker 1 The hopper was full of beans and the cups were stocked.

Speaker 1 So all that was left for me was to turn on the lights, add some music, and unlock the door.

Speaker 1 We sold bagels and muffins, cornetti, plain or filled with pistachio cream from the bakery.

Speaker 1 I used to have to bundle up and walk down there on these cold mornings, but

Speaker 1 they delivered now

Speaker 1 and usually showed up a half hour or so after we opened.

Speaker 1 In fact, I could see their delivery guy just now, bundled up and heading to the diner with a loaded tray in his hands.

Speaker 1 We were a little web of connections in this town.

Speaker 1 The bakery kept us all in fresh bread and treats.

Speaker 1 The diner fed us waffles and sandwiches.

Speaker 1 My coffee shop kept us all awake.

Speaker 1 The bookshop, the record store, the place that repaired bikes and the flower shop.

Speaker 1 We all kept each other going.

Speaker 1 And speaking of, as I went to unlock the door,

Speaker 1 I found the man that owned the bike repair shop waiting on the doorstep.

Speaker 1 He looked frozen,

Speaker 1 and as I pushed the door open for him, he hurried in.

Speaker 1 Don't tell me you rode to town today,

Speaker 1 I said, certain that I already knew the answer.

Speaker 1 He looked a bit stunned by the cold and just nodded as he tucked his hands under his arms.

Speaker 1 I pointed to the seat closest to the radiators, told him to sit down and thaw out.

Speaker 1 Luckily, I knew his order.

Speaker 1 It was another point of pride for me.

Speaker 1 It went right along with the hospitality.

Speaker 1 If I made your coffee three times,

Speaker 1 well, I won't forget how you like it.

Speaker 1 His was a large Americano

Speaker 1 with an inch of steamed oat milk on top.

Speaker 1 And on Saturdays he got a bit of cinnamon syrup added in.

Speaker 1 Well,

Speaker 1 it was Saturday, and I figured he'd need the extra boost either way.

Speaker 1 As I began to make his drink, another barista came in through the back door

Speaker 1 and tied on her apron.

Speaker 1 Customers began to shuffle in as well,

Speaker 1 and the rhythm of morning at the coffee shop took over.

Speaker 1 People gathered in clumps at tables

Speaker 1 and along the bar in the front window.

Speaker 1 The bakery order came, and we stocked the pastry case by the register.

Speaker 1 My frozen friend drained his Americano

Speaker 1 and waved a thank you before heading back into the cold.

Speaker 1 The big table against the back was filled up with the neighborhood grandpas

Speaker 1 with their newspapers and corny jokes.

Speaker 1 When I leaned in with a fresh carafe to fill their cups, one one of them whispered to me,

Speaker 1 Do you ever wonder why you don't see hippos hiding in the trees?

Speaker 1 I sighed and waited.

Speaker 1 That's because they're really good at it.

Speaker 1 Oh boy, I chuckled

Speaker 1 and went back to work.

Speaker 1 Yes, one way or another,

Speaker 1 we all kept each other going through the winter.

Speaker 1 Mornings at the coffee shop

Speaker 1 All was dark downtown

Speaker 1 as I pulled into the alley behind the coffee shop.

Speaker 1 Well,

Speaker 1 the Christmas lights still twinkled on the store fronts,

Speaker 1 and there was a light on at the bakery.

Speaker 1 But other than that,

Speaker 1 all was dark and cold.

Speaker 1 Gosh, it was a cold morning.

Speaker 1 We were in that part of the winter when the temperature doesn't make it above freezing for weeks at a time.

Speaker 1 And most folks don't leave their house without a good reason.

Speaker 1 But

Speaker 1 coffee,

Speaker 1 coffee

Speaker 1 is a very good reason.

Speaker 1 I hurried to the back door of the cafe

Speaker 1 and fumbled with my keys in my mittened hand.

Speaker 1 I did not want

Speaker 1 to take those mittens off

Speaker 1 but getting the key in the lock took an unearthly degree of focus in the bitter cold.

Speaker 1 I took a steadying breath

Speaker 1 and lined it up and twisted till the lock gave and the door opened.

Speaker 1 I stepped through into the warm shop

Speaker 1 and locked the door again behind me.

Speaker 1 I stood for a moment and let the chill shake out of me.

Speaker 1 We still had a tree up

Speaker 1 and decorated in our front window

Speaker 1 and in the darkness

Speaker 1 it reflected prettily through the space.

Speaker 1 The colored lights bounced off the white marble tables,

Speaker 1 and I hummed a Christmas song that was still stuck in my head

Speaker 1 while I unwound my scarf.

Speaker 1 I hung my coat and wrappings on the rack in the back room

Speaker 1 and took a clean apron from the shelf.

Speaker 1 I wrapped it around myself,

Speaker 1 tying the strings in front

Speaker 1 and tucking a fresh towel through them.

Speaker 1 I folded back the cuffs of my shirt

Speaker 1 and rolled them a time or two

Speaker 1 and began to feel

Speaker 1 a bit more awake,

Speaker 1 a bit more human,

Speaker 1 and a bit more hospitable.

Speaker 1 I'd heard a news story once

Speaker 1 about a town somewhere,

Speaker 1 a little village

Speaker 1 on another continent.

Speaker 1 They were known for something they called radical hospitality,

Speaker 1 guests,

Speaker 1 tourists,

Speaker 1 travelers

Speaker 1 were welcomed with such earnest warmth

Speaker 1 that their time there felt like a dream.

Speaker 1 And for people of the village,

Speaker 1 it was a point of pride.

Speaker 1 None of it was put on.

Speaker 1 It wasn't a show.

Speaker 1 It was a core part of their culture.

Speaker 1 I'd pulled my car over to listen to the story.

Speaker 1 I'd been so gripped by it.

Speaker 1 I'd felt like

Speaker 1 it was expressing something

Speaker 1 I'd always felt, but hadn't had the words for.

Speaker 1 To make someone feel welcome

Speaker 1 and cared for

Speaker 1 when they come into your house or shop

Speaker 1 or restaurant.

Speaker 1 Well, That felt very important

Speaker 1 to me too.

Speaker 1 And that's why I didn't mind opening my coffee shop on a freezing dark morning.

Speaker 1 I get to welcome people,

Speaker 1 to warm their bellies and spirits with our offerings.

Speaker 1 And that was always a pleasure,

Speaker 1 and a duty I took seriously.

Speaker 1 But first,

Speaker 1 as the philosophers say,

Speaker 1 coffee.

Speaker 1 After all,

Speaker 1 you cannot pour from an empty cup.

Speaker 1 So I flicked on the lights over the espresso machine

Speaker 1 and set about filling mine.

Speaker 1 The sound of grinding beans filled the empty cafe.

Speaker 1 And as I tamped the grounds

Speaker 1 and screwed the porta filter

Speaker 1 into the brewing head,

Speaker 1 I could smell the rich, roasted scent.

Speaker 1 There was a hint of chocolate,

Speaker 1 and a nuttiness like hazelnuts in the aroma.

Speaker 1 And as that first cup brewed with a thick, pale crema on top,

Speaker 1 my mouth watered in anticipation.

Speaker 1 Before the morning was out,

Speaker 1 I would have several cups,

Speaker 1 probably

Speaker 1 one latte,

Speaker 1 one macchiato,

Speaker 1 and an Americano near the end of my shift.

Speaker 1 But this first one

Speaker 1 was just a plain shot

Speaker 1 that I sipped as soon as it was ready.

Speaker 1 I felt it lighting me up with warmth. and energy.

Speaker 1 After that last sip,

Speaker 1 I slid the cup into the washer

Speaker 1 and reset the machine for our next customer.

Speaker 1 I looked at the clock and realized that

Speaker 1 that first customer would probably be here in just a few minutes.

Speaker 1 Luckily, closing staff did an excellent job of setting us up to open.

Speaker 1 It was part of our hospitality.

Speaker 1 It wasn't just for guests,

Speaker 1 but also for each other.

Speaker 1 When you came in,

Speaker 1 you'd find that the person before you

Speaker 1 had left your station neat and prepped,

Speaker 1 the towels were clean and waiting in the dryer.

Speaker 1 The hopper was full of beans and the cups were stocked.

Speaker 1 So, all that was left for me

Speaker 1 was to turn on all the lights,

Speaker 1 add some music,

Speaker 1 and unlock the door.

Speaker 1 We sold bagels and muffins,

Speaker 1 cornetti,

Speaker 1 plain or filled with pistachio cream from the bakery.

Speaker 1 I used to have to bundle up and walk down there on these cold mornings,

Speaker 1 but they deliver now

Speaker 1 and usually show up a half hour or so after we open.

Speaker 1 In fact,

Speaker 1 I could see their delivery guy just now,

Speaker 1 bundled up and headed to the diner with a loaded tray in his hands.

Speaker 1 We were a little web of connections in this town.

Speaker 1 The bakery kept us all in fresh bread and treats.

Speaker 1 The diner fed us waffles and sandwiches.

Speaker 1 My coffee shop kept us all awake.

Speaker 1 The bookshop, the record store,

Speaker 1 the place that repaired bikes,

Speaker 1 the flower shop.

Speaker 1 We all kept each other going.

Speaker 1 And speaking of,

Speaker 1 as I went to unlock the door,

Speaker 1 I found the man that owned the bike repair shop waiting on the doorstep.

Speaker 1 He looked frozen.

Speaker 1 And as I pushed the door open for him, he hurried in.

Speaker 1 Don't tell me you rode to town today,

Speaker 1 I said, certain I already knew the answer.

Speaker 1 He looked a bit stunned by the cold and just nodded as he tucked his hands under his arms.

Speaker 1 I pointed to the seat closest to the radiators and told him to sit down and thaw out.

Speaker 1 Luckily, I knew his order.

Speaker 1 It was another point of pride for me.

Speaker 1 It went right along with the hospitality.

Speaker 1 If I've made your coffee three times,

Speaker 1 well, I won't forget how you like it.

Speaker 1 His was a large Americano

Speaker 1 with an inch of steamed oat milk on top.

Speaker 1 And on Saturdays, he got a bit of cinnamon syrup added in.

Speaker 1 Well,

Speaker 1 it was Saturday,

Speaker 1 and I figured he'd need the extra boost either way.

Speaker 1 As I began to make his drink,

Speaker 1 another barista came in through the back door

Speaker 1 and tied on her apron.

Speaker 1 Customers began to shuffle in as well,

Speaker 1 and the rhythm of a morning at the coffee shop took over.

Speaker 1 People gathered in clumps at tables and along the bar in the front window.

Speaker 1 The bakery order came, and we stocked the pastry case by the register.

Speaker 1 My frozen friend drained his Americano

Speaker 1 and waved a thank you before heading back into the cold.

Speaker 1 The big table against the back was filled up with the neighborhood grandpas with their newspapers and corny jokes.

Speaker 1 When I leaned in with a fresh carafe to fill their cups,

Speaker 1 one of them whispered to me

Speaker 1 Do you ever wonder why you don't see hippos hiding in the trees?

Speaker 1 I sighed and waited.

Speaker 1 It's because they're really good at it.

Speaker 1 Oh boy, I chuckled and went back to work.

Speaker 1 Yes, one way or another,

Speaker 1 we all kept each other going

Speaker 1 through the winter.

Speaker 1 Sweet dreams