I’ve Got my Head in Macleods
Brooke Skiba
You might be wondering how MacCleods fits in with the A&E section. Being a C-Store (as MacCleods is still colloquially called) employee for the past couple years, I’ve been exposed to a variety of new experiences that shape the role of a cashier-barista extraordinaire. Most of what I learned I’ve come to appreciate as a true form of art — thus, there is no better place for this article.
C-Store employees quickly learn a variety of arts. The art of stocking involves knowing just how many Pringle cans to grab from the storage room and how to arrange them in an aesthetically pleasing way, and knowing just how to hide the last Fage yogurt so that it’s still there for your lunch break. There are also the arts of choosing music and receipt origami.
The popular art of “C-Store flirting” is generally passed on from the more experienced employees to the newbies. To demonstrate, first imagine yourself behind the C-Store register when an attractive member of the opposite sex approaches with a granola bar and a coffee order. You begin the first step by subtly swiping their COW card and checking their name simultaneously. You notice the person is in your year, and you’re feeling confident, so you prepare to write your number on the back of their receipt.
However, the person gives a complicated coffee drink order, and, in mis-pressing a complicated sequence of register buttons, your confidence is frayed. Good thing you’re a C-Store flirting master and have developed a tight bond with your co-worker/wingman. You give your co-worker “the look,” and they quickly write your name and number down on the coffee drink sleeve. Regaining your confidence, you tell your crush “have a great day,” in a slightly altered voice from your average purchase-closing catch-phrase (probably due to the smile and wink necessary for its implementation). Your object of interest gets your number with their coffee drink, and they are sure to send a text your way in no time. Disclaimer: though I personally have not initiated this particular scenario, it is in fact based on a true story.
The most relevant art to a C-Store employee is the art of making coffee. Coffee-making, particularly when it comes to espresso drinks, is one that requires experience, concentration and a honed taste for good coffee drinks. Good coffee starts with good espresso, which, unfortunately, is often in the hands of the machines and regulations rather than the employee. However, even when the espresso is lacking the presence of gorgeous crema, heating the milk to just the right temperature and amount of foam can restore the integrity of the beverage. A good barista knows the specific tastes of his or her customers, and will add more or less flavor syrup, whipped cream, or foam accordingly. A drink can go from mediocre to incredible with the addition of a beautiful design of chocolate or caramel syrup on top, or perhaps, for the more experienced baristas, latte art. Some drink recipes I suggest: a cherry white mocha, caramel hazelnut latte, tazo tea with foamed milk and a mocha estima coffee.
Now that you appreciate the inner workings of being a C-Store employee, be sure to stop in to admire the artistic masterpiece that is MacCleods.