Would you report a gross independent coffee shop barista?

[Anonymous]

For not practicing safe hand washing and food handling guidelines?

I ordered an espresso to go. I gave her a $5 bill and said keep the change ($2). So she touched the screen barehanded, then takes my cash and gets change barehanded. Then a customer behind me wants a fill up of ice or something. So she takes his used cold cup and tops it off with ice. Still barehanded and hasn’t washed her hands. Then she gets to my espresso with the same barehands and didn’t wash.

And obviously I have no idea what she did prior to my arrival, possible she’s been going cash register to making drinks all day.

Would you send an email to a manager and/or report them to local health dept?

[Anonymous]

Troll.

[Anonymous]

Chill. I just wouldn’t go back.

[Anonymous]

Did she stir your drink with her finger? Who cares?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did she stir your drink with her finger? Who cares?

This. I sincerely fail to understand what the concern is. If not a troll, you sound like a paranoid nutjob OP. And you really don't want to know what goes on at grocery stores and restaurants.

[Anonymous]

Ha!

[Anonymous]

You’re upset she touched your cup? Don’t all baristas do that?

[Anonymous]

Cooties!!

[Anonymous]

And you thought _(insert relative here)_ was an extreme germphobe! Set the bar high OP, set that bar

[Anonymous]

Unless you’re licking the part of the cup that she held, I wouldn’t worry about it. I would be more concerned with her filling an already used cup with the scoop - the scoop getting contaminated from the customer. Send an anonymous email to the owner, not the health department. He might be able to gently guide her.

[Anonymous]

OP, I am guessing there is a lot of unsanitary behavior we never see, so when we do "catch" it in the moment is grosses us out.

I had an unsanitary experience at a well-known (not Subway) sandwich shop, pre-covid, and never returned to the location.

Up to my "turn" in line, I was watching sandwich maker. Just before my sandwich, they took a wet cloth from below the counter, cleaned up the counter, wrung out the dirty water, dipped the cloth in a container again, repeat.

Then, with the same gloves on, looked at me and asked me white or wheat and started to reach for a sandwich bun. Yuck! I said, hi and asked person to put on a new set of gloves please. They looked at me, like WTF, and walked away from the counter and did not return. Another staff member eventually shifted over from the hot sandwich area to make the cold sandwiches. When I explained what happened, they just shrugged their shoulders. Training might help, but then again some workers just do not care.

[Anonymous]

I did at a local bakery. Handling money and then touching food without glove swapping. Violation of health code.

I emailed the owners and they were apologetic and thankful to know about it. I guess better to have a customer tell them than get a write-up from the health inspector on their record.

[Anonymous]

I often see independent coffee shops staffed by one employee who has to do everything. They are not going to be able to wash their hands ever 30 seconds. As long as they use tongs to handle pastries or other food items, I see nothing wrong with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did at a local bakery. Handling money and then touching food without glove swapping. Violation of health code.

I emailed the owners and they were apologetic and thankful to know about it. I guess better to have a customer tell them than get a write-up from the health inspector on their record.

I was a coffee shop manager, and of course I would act appreciative and apologetic. And I would tell the employees to keep an eye out for you if you were a regular. If a single person is working the register and getting drinks it really does not work to change gloves or wash hands between every part of every transaction. You'd be better off going to a big place where they have a dedicated cashier and let the rest of us take our chances.

[Anonymous]

Come on, gross PPs. I hope I never come to your house for coffee or dinner with attitudes like this.

OP, that IS gross. Most people don't have any idea how dirty cash is, or touch screens. Even worse is when someone wears gloves to do all the things you described, as if the important thing is to protect their own hands!