"I have been going to this coffee house for about 20 years—since I was a student at UW-Madison. I used to know artists who worked in the back area and whose art was on the walls. I used to study for exams there. I used to adore it.Yesterday (at around 11:15 am I went in and ordered a Yerba Mate with a side of warm soy milk. The cashier was nice and asked me if I wanted a tea latte. I said actually yes. So she UPcharged me a dollar I think, which was totally fine.I watched the barista make it and fill the cup 3/4 full of hot water. So I said “it’s a latte right?” And she said “the way we do it here (blah blah blah ? science .I said “well I was charged for more soymilk.” So she offered to pour some water out in a way that was pseudo sincere. I said “yes please.”I then shared that when I used to come there almost 20 years back the baristas put the mate right into the espresso press and add milk so I was used to more milk (and it was glorious, mind you! … I didn’t say this, but I also now live on the border of Italy, so I know what a latte ratio is.She said “oh, really, interesting, we’ll take that on.”I felt she was somewhat sincere, but then I scanned to my right, and her colleague was half paying attention to making a sandwich and half watching our exchange and rolling his eyes at me and sneering in a way that was so petty and small town and weird. So I felt really, really unwelcome and sad at the culture that took over there.I then went to add something to the drink at the side bar and he started talking about me when I was still there!Imagine your fave college tea shop devolving into an entitled, insular teen wasteland. That’s what happened here."
