Starbucks Observation Essay

As I drive to Starbucks, small strikes of lightning strobe the sky, and rain pours down from overhead. Scattered showers had been occurring throughout the hour, and dark clouds covered the sky. The rain brought a mugginess to the already hot air, which was contrast to the previous week’s cold temperatures. It is a Monday night, around 7:30 pm, and the parking-lot is crowded with minimal parking available. The Starbucks is situated in a strip of stores, which includes a Great Clips, AT&T, and Penn Station. As I sprint through the rain from my truck, another is doing the same and follows me into the crowded Starbucks. As I stand in the doorway, wrapping up my umbrella, I see a small, cushioned chair that is available that is positioned in front of the door. After ordering a Pumpkin Spice Latte, I sit down. The room is quiet, and the only noise consisting of blenders and coffee tools. The rest of the store is filled with women and a single man. There is a group of girls getting tutored, an elderly pair of women talking over coffee, and many women working on laptops with headphones in. Sitting at the counter are two women, assumingly in their twenties, who are eagerly chatting while eating subs from Penn Station.

The group of women who are already at the counter watch her until she hangs the phone up, then jumps out of their chairs and have a group hug, while squealing in excitement. After partaking in the group hug, the women sit down in the respective chairs, and the barista walks over to the newcomer, grabs her sandwich and takes a bite, then proceeds to say hello to her. Throughout the duration of my stay, the group continued chatting at a comparatively loud volume, and the barista joined in conversations between