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nected to the intricate journey of coffee from seed to cup, and it is this connection that sparks interest and further conversation. If the timing is right and they're itching to hear more, they'll en- gage with you. If not, they'll at least appreciate the sincere effort and walk away with new knowledge. Educating Gently In high-volume shops, there may never be a good time for an in-depth coffee conversation: Fast-paced service and speedy beverage turnover don't leave much room for a discussion. Of- fering coffee literature—perhaps a few back issues of Barista Magazine—in the shop is a passive way to share coffee culture with others. If you have the space for it, consider stocking a bookshelf with your favorite coffee books for your customers to browse. Further, weekly cuppings at designat- ed times reduce shop clutter while still opening the door for "a-ha!" moments for newbies and aficionados alike. Host- ing latte art throwdowns can be a fun way to gather your local coffee com- munity within your doors. These kinds of events also provide the chance to showcase latte art and brewing demos, or full coffee classes that are open to the public. There may be an entire mob of potential coffee geeks loitering in your shop, but it's not unlikely that they lack the confidence to approach the brew bar to pick their busy baristas' brains. Providing alternative avenues for coffee education within your establishment gives everyone a chance to wake the coffee nerd within. Ultimately we must remember that while everyone is teachable, not every moment is a teaching moment. Let's be real: No- body wants a TED Talk at 6 a.m. about the history and taxonomy of Coffea arabica. Sometimes people just need their caffeine fix, and while you may be able to recite the key concepts of coffee extraction from memory, your primary job as a barista is to serve. This isn't about curbing your enthusi- asm or perpetuating bad coffee knowl- edge. It's about assessing situations and establishing a basis of trust and mutual respect before bombarding a person with a whole new way of approaching a subject that they thought they were already familiar with. If a product is stellar and an experience is excellent, people will natu- rally notice and want to know why. "You should take those moments [day- to-day customer interactions] to make the best damned beverage you can and change a viewpoint through actionable service, [and] not knowledge vomiting," says Brent Hall, longtime leader of the Charlotte Coffee Community and current manager of product innovation for S&D; Coffee Company. "Speak differently, elevate them to your level by lending them a hand." When we seek out genuine relationships with our customers, opportunities to share our devotion and joy for coffee with others will surface. The vast and fascinating world of specialty coffee will flourish as long as we continue to foster environments of mutual respect and open dialogue with those that we are serving. After all, there is no "us" and "them"; we are all in this together, bound by our mutual love of coffee and the culture around it. 81 www.baristamagazine.com