Barista called me out on my headphone habit

I go to this spot in Portland called Slow Pour pretty much every morning. A few weeks ago, the barista I always see just looked at me and said "you know you're missing half the room in those things." I had my noise-cancelling headphones on and was zoned out on a spreadsheet. She was right though. I started keeping them off until I actually need to focus. Now I end up talking to people a few times a week and even met a guy who does the same type of freelance work I do. Anyone else have a coffee shop regular call them out on something that actually helped?

2 comments

2 Comments

bennett.mason2d ago

Portland baristas do that whole tough love thing, my buddy got told his beard looked "too curated" at Coava and actually shaved it the next week.

emmawood2d ago

you know you're missing half the room in those things" is such a weird thing to say though. @bennett.mason I get that Portland baristas have this whole persona but telling someone to take off their headphones when they're working is kinda overstepping. Not everyone wants to chat, some people literally go to coffee shops to get stuff done without being bothered. If you need noise cancellation to focus, that's your business. I don't see why a barista gets to decide how you experience the room. Glad it worked out for you, but honestly that would've pissed me off if someone said that to me.