Pumpkin spice is a staple of autumn and a favorite amongst customers, but for a Starbucks barista the flavor of fall gets old really fast.
I’ve been working at Starbucks since last spring, and this is my first round in the “Fall Frenzy.” It began with a light-hearted team meeting: my first taste of a pumpkin spice latte, or the “PSL,” and apple spice macchiato and advice on how to handle challenging customers. I was not mentally prepared for the shelves in the backroom overflowing with containers of syrup, automatically reaching for the pumpkin spice pump when a customer begins to order and the challenge of not audibly groaning when I hear the words “pumpkin spice latte.”
Obviously, I love the flavor too. the sweet pumpkin reminds me of the best parts of autumn, and one of the perks of being a barista is the free products. My personal favorite is the pumpkin scone. However, after making them for hours upon hours the only thing you can hope for is a sudden shortage of all fall products. The most popular orders right now are just about any drink with the pumpkin spice cold foam, and the PSL rages on as a cult classic. My best advice for customers is to enjoy the fall products, but be extra nice to your barista.