Coffee Shop Names

I go to the same coffee shops over and over again. Over time, I get to know the people who work there. It’s customary in coffee shops to ask for the customer’s name when taking the order. That way, if two people order the same drink, disputes can be settled by looking at the name written on the cup. 

Sometimes, I ask for the name of the employee who takes my order. Over time, they remember me and address me by name when I stop by. I like to be able to show the employees the same respect.

Recently, I met a young barista named Xavier. I told him that I would remember his name by thinking of Xavier University. “My last name is a university, too,” he told me. “It’s Brown.”

Another fellow whom I have known for a couple of years is named Clinton (first name). I joked with him one day that with a name like that, he should go into politics. He agreed. “That’s probably a good idea. My last name is Rockefeller.”