The Ambient Caffeine Hasn’t Seeped Into Their Pores Yet

I place a mobile order at a chain coffee shop. The location closest to my house just reopened from doing renovations, and most of the staff look new. My order is a medium iced coffee with oat milk. If you drink non-dairy alternatives, you know the color is not the same as dairy.

When I get there, there’s one customer in the store next to the online orders looking at the coffee-themed dog toys and talking to the two employees.

I find the drink with my name on it, and I notice that it’s way too light. It’s also a large and has whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkled on it, which I did not ask for.

I hold up the drink to the employees.

Me: “Sorry, is this an iced coffee with oat milk?”

Employee #1: “Yeah.”

Me: “Oh, okay. It looks really light, and I didn’t order whipped cream.”

Employee #1: “Oh, sorry.”

I go to leave, but I stop in the foyer and read my receipt to double-check that I ordered the right thing. I’m still unsure, so I go back in.

Me: “Sorry, you’re sure this is oat milk? It really doesn’t look right.”

The employees speak at the same time

Employee #1: “Yeah, it is.”

Employee #2: “I didn’t make it.”

I go to my car and take a sip. Putting a straw in pushes the cinnamon into the drink, and now that’s all I can taste. Plus, I can tell it is not oat milk.

I go back in a third time. [Employee #1] is taking an order, and [Employee #2] is making drinks.

Me: “Sorry, can I just get this remade? It doesn’t taste like oat milk, and I don’t like the whipped cream and cinnamon. Plus, I ordered a medium.”

[Employee #2] quickly remade my drink, but I really think they should have offered to do that when I said I didn’t want whipped cream.