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to preheat. Back-up stock is one step away. Grinders should be detailed and stocked with fresh coffee, the back-up coffee within arms reach. Utensils, coffee brushes, Band Aids, pens, foam spatulas, and on and on—everything is where it should be before the door is opened. The main reason all of this should make sense to the barista is because he or she is a critical piece of the picture. The espresso professional, at minimum, should present a clean appearance in grooming and clothing. Beyond that minimum, some style and flair is nice. Me, I favor dark tight fitting knits and a black or dark brown four-way apron around the waist. I like to look sharp and sassy, clean and fast. For my staff I allow a wide range of personal style because I need them to be comfortable first and foremost, in order to do a top job. Because coffee is a culinary art, polished professionalism is the best style. This can be reflected in each motion a barista makes—packing, steaming and pouring the rosetta latte, when preparing the espresso. One of my 12-year baristas, Kasey, displays his artistry from the moment he picks up the packer (tamper). He has a flourish when he a picks up the packer to address the coffee. He sweeps it off the counter and the packing head sort of does a little circular motion on the way to the portafilter, which he repeats after tapping the portafilter. The circular embellishment is not dramatic and showy; it is smooth and subtle, having developed naturally over thousands of shots. Free pouring latte art is the grand finale in this two-minute dance. Even after 22 years of watching these patterns ooze forth from our steam pitchers I still find them mesmerizing, and so do our customers. It is a classic finish. The beauty of the free poured patterns is that they are a natural extension of the behavior of the two liquids, espresso and steamed milk, combining. The sensuous, flowing form of the rosetta pattern echoes the viscous beauty of the espresso pour itself. They are silky foams doing what they want to do. Free poured latte art is accomplished with an effortless flick of the wrist, and is never labored or time consuming. Again, it is the form following the function that is the mark of the professional. Counselor, listener, friend Over the years there have been a number of strange encounters between baristas and my customers. I will never forget a strapping young man who worked in construction and bristled with masculine energy and coiled muscles, walking in to complain about rudeness he felt he had received at my sidewalk bar down the street. He had been coming for years and as he began to talk about his encounter, his lower lip began trembling, his face grew red, and he began to cry. In his heart, he had been betrayed by a friend. I have seen repeats of this scenario many times over the years. There is something about making coffee for someone every day that transcends commerce. Perhaps it is our compassionate listening style that slips us past people's urban defenses. But people will bond with a good barista. This vulnerability on the part of regular customers requires compassion and kindness on the part of the barista. However, when you see hundreds of people a day a pro barista might run into a few who are not worthy of kindness. For us the customer is always right, and if this does not prove to be the case, the customer is gone. I empower my staff to "eighty-six" abusive customers by telling them that in my absence they are the host of this espresso bar. In my 22 years, this has led to one or two instances of a customer being asked to seek coffee elsewhere. My people are professional baristas and are given my respect when they don the apron. Trust is the only way to manage people with the sensitivity and intelligence to produce espresso on our level, and knowing they have my trust relaxes them and fosters the confidence that is the basis of the whole bar persona. As Mark Pendergast argues in his book Uncommon Grounds, coffee advances only take place when the customer is willing and able to pay for them. To really make espresso bars the welcoming den of 21st century America, and be able to serve caffe espresso as a culinary art, you must respect the customer that might not be ready to face the world. If we embrace them first, they turn around and love us back. www.baristamagazine.com 75