The Squamish Coffee Shop Regular

What makes someone become a regular at a coffee shop? How long does it take the baristas to notice that you are in fact now a regular customer? Do you even want to be recognized as someone who comes in often?  We love it when a regular walks in and we can start making their “usual” right away. For most of our clients, I know it’s the amazing Moja coffee that we brew that keeps them coming back again and again. However, we also make our own muffins and those bad boys have quite the reputation! Whatever the reason, I love to see a familiar face in the crowd.

At Caffe Garibaldi we have a unique experience because of all the tourists coming through the Adventure Centre. Sometimes you’ll get a new regular that will last for a month and then poof! they’re gone. I could give a thousand examples, the delightful German couple that came in almost every day (sometimes more than once) for over a month, a couple of young British Vanlifers who couldn’t resist our soy lattes, two German girls who would hang out with us sippin’ on chai lattes, it goes on and on. It was a pleasure to get to know them all and be a part of their Squamish experience.

We are also lucky enough to have amazing local residents who become regulars. And by regulars, I mean they come in every single day! Our delicious cappuccinos and decaf americanos bring them in but they stick around for the friendly chatter and beautiful vistas.  And interestingly enough, there have even been psychological studies that discuss how engaging with someone like your barista or grocery clerk positively impacts your overall mood. Regardless of how or when it starts to happen, an interesting relationship begins to blossom between the coffee makers and the coffee drinkers.  Both sides trade these little tidbits of personal information giving each other a glimpse into a stranger’s life. The sense of community ties, this connection builds and becomes beneficial to all parties and helps us all become a little less strange.

If a simple cup of coffee can connect us in this way, then reserve my spot and pour me another.