It was the beginning of June, 2015. I just got home from my grand adventures in Europe, and the impending adulthood was pressing on me - I had to get a job. I had enough money to go jobless for about two months, but after that I would have no choice but to start making some coin. On top of that, for the first time in 13 years, I wasn't starting school in the fall. It was such a bizarre feeling for me, but I was blessed with the best part time job I could have ever asked for.
I never knew I wanted to work in a cafe. In fact, I always thought I wouldn't. They're privately run and therefore kinda mis-mashy and they never know the proper way to make drinks or take care of a kitchen. But I had really only worked in one other cafe before, and that was hardly a good basis for comparison.
City Roast Coffee, located smack dab in the middle of downtown, Red Deer, literally hired me on the spot. I didn't go in there to apply for work, though that was what I had devoted that entire afternoon for, one day in August. I had gone in for lunch, nothing more. But as I was paying for my food at the counter, I heard a little voice in the back of my head say "you should give them a resume". I asked if they were hiring, she said to bring in a resume, I said I had one on me, pulled it out of my bag and gave it to her, she glanced at it, then asked me if I could start tomorrow.
The rest is history. That was my primary job for the rest of summer, and I loved it. In October, the apartment directly above the cafe became available for rent. Gosia, my 60-something-year-old Polish boss, personally knew the landlord, seeing as he was her landlord for the cafe as well, and without my knowledge had a conversation with him, wherein she negotiated the price of rent for said apartment down $200. She then talked to me, arranged a viewing upstairs, and as my boyfriend was coming up to pick me up, he and I went to go check out this mysterious apartment.
We moved in beginning of November, and it is the best place I have ever lived. Not to mention my only roommate is my boyfriend, so that solves almost every issue I've ever had with a living situation!
That being said, I've been nothing but lucky with my position at the cafe. My hours have significantly dwindled since December, since I have started a new, full-time job, but I still enjoy working there. The regulars, the other staff, and every stranger that walks through the doors open new and exciting opportunities for camaraderie and connections. On top of that, it's the hub for all the hipsters and wacky people that populate downtown.
This is the City Roast logo.
This is Dennis. He is Polina's husband. They are both Ukrainian. Dennis roasts our coffee beans.
These are our coffee beans. We sell them by the 1/4, 1/2, and 1 pound bags.
This is my spot - behind the counter. I make the coffee.
This is the coffee being made. So I guess I enable the coffee to be made - I don't physically make it.
These are what make our lattes taste not just like milk.
These are our teas for those strange people that don't drink coffee....
There are art murals on the walls of the cafe. They haven't been updated in years, but they're kinda neat for their nostalgic feel.
I made this cappuccino. Cappuccinos are harder to make than you would expect. The hints: skim milk, use a small and cold steamer jug, and as you lower the jug as the milk rises, you need to move the steam wand all the way to the bottom of the jug, but before it boils over. It's really hard.
More art.
This is a painting of an old man that is coming out of the wall. So I guess it's half painting half sculpture. It's located beside a bench where a similarly old man sits every morning to have his coffee. I pointed out once how similar they both looked, sitting beside each other. I don't think the man was very flattered. Oops.
More art. I really like this one. I always thought that the brown paint looked like coffee stains.
Fancy smancy hot chocolates.
These are our baked goodies. We have Gosia, Chrissa, Polina, Iina, and Ludka in the kitchen during different times of the week, and they are continuously baking new foods. From different kinds of loafs (banana bread, coconut bread, lemon loaf, etc) to cakes (apple cake, carrot cake, vegan chocolate zucchini cake...) and bars (date squares, butter tart squares, peanut butter bars). I think I got fatter after starting work there.
My favorite current pet peeve is when people ask for "two shots of expresso". It's like, what, are you having a hard time espressing yourself?
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