Coffee Tips (and the Elimination Thereof)

Rather, it's the tip cup that bothers me... I have recently become frustrated with something at doughnut establishments, and I'm not referring to the scones, although -- seriously -- just think about the writing possibilities if I were.

But for the sake of this column, I need to be oblivious to all of the other ones in order to keep some sort of focus, so bear with me here... To begin, I do realize that doughnut (or donut, take your pick) shops aren't the only places with these cups.

Yogi: That's right, I am.

Smokey: Me too

Blood and jelly are the same color and I realize that... The thing is, I always end up tipping because it's become an obligation rather than a choice. Is it the way the employees stretch to grab the lemon-filled that is so challenging, or is coffee pouring more of an art than I thought it was? At any rate, my first question is what we are tipping when we contribute extra change, sometimes even dollar bills, into the doughnut tip cup.

Still, this tip cup could have its advantages. For example, doughnut establishments could use the money to fund research in the creation of new doughnuts. Personally, I'd like to know that my extra 15 cents per day was putting some college intern hard to work in order to find out if sprinkles really do taste better when they're multi-colored, or to see if crème mixed with pickle juice is such a bad idea after all. And then, when this research is complete (and thorough), I want to see my name somewhere on the official document...

Doughnut Shop Owner: Wait a minute, wait a minute -- you are getting way too carried away.

Greg: So are you. And it's about time someone stood up for the doughnut consumers of America.

Owner: That's ironic, considering most of them sit down.

Greg: True. But that's besides the point. I will only stop writing when you tell me why the tip cup is there.

Owner: I will, but I need you to keep this is a secret, okay?

Greg: Sounds good to me.

Owner: You see, we need advice -- like, really serious advice. And so we put that tip cup there hoping that we'd get it, and unfortunately people are missing the point.

Greg: Oh, I see. Well, I have some advice for you, sir.

Owner: Thank you, what is it?

Greg: Well, it'll cost you 50 cents...

But I digress.

how coffee shops differ from restaurants and cafs

Also frequently known as coffeehouses, coffee shops are the cozy locals where you go to have a good cup of coffee either with some friends or on your own, so as to quietly read a newspaper. Coffee shops differ from restaurants and cafés, since they predominantly offer a variety of coffee and tea, without serving anything else out of this range. Coffee shops are to be found anywhere on the globe, from the Western world to the Muslim and the extreme East, as they reflect more than just a consumer mentality, they actually function as social life centers, where people talk, write, or pass their spare time in the most appealing of environments.

Coffee shops are great places where people underage can gather and have fun listening to live or recorded music, they way they wouldn't be able to do in some bar; the atmosphere is absolutely great and most coffee shops feel like cozy places where everybody is at home. The specificity of a regular coffee shops differs from one part of the of the world to another: alcohol is served in some such establishments, not to mention that Amsterdam coffee shops are also pretty comfortable with cannabis free use.

Going to coffee shops for a birthday party or a funny evening with your friends could be a great idea. As paradoxical as it may seem, though caffeine is said to cause insomnia, most people who attend such establishments order all sorts of strong coffees particularly in the evening; 9 o'clock in the evening is the right time to gather for a flavored drink and some good live music. Whether it is jazz or blues, music and coffee go very well together; some locals even have an Arabian specific in both decorations and the type of music they play which adds up to the exoticism of the house.

One thing to be tried in coffee shops is Turkish coffee, which is one of the specialties, actually some coffee experts claim that you can label a coffee house after the quality of Turkish coffee they serve. Furthermore, ultra modern facilities combine the coffee shop destination with the wi-fi interest of young generations: this combination actually resulted in the appearance of the hybrid coffee shops that also function as Internet cafés. The phenomenon has spread to such an extent that presently, all respectable coffee shops also provide Internet access to the interested customers.