Swung through after hitting up ADK Balloon Fest (which I *highly* recommend attending, btw).
I envisioned it being an easy breezy stop for a quick iced coffee before I got back to my busy Sunday, but apparently so did everyone else in town because the line was out. the. door. when I pulled up. But desperately needing a caffeine fix, wanting to support local business, and having some (*tons) of hot air balloon photos to sift through, I figured I'd wait it out (arrived "early," around 9am!)
Having worked in food service and seen the insides of kitchens of all sizes, I realize this kitchen isn't the easiest set up to crank out orders of breakfast sammies, toasted bagels, BLTs, or smoothies -- it's a pretty small workspace at the far end of the order counter.
Additionally, this is an exposed/open kitchen, so the breakfast rush crew can't even roll their eyes or complain about customers or the high frequency of order tickets flying in without being seen or heard, so it's insanely impressive to watch them work so well together in sync. Even if they're screaming on the inside, they move quickly and efficiently, with a smile on their face, working as a team and keeping a positive vibe making conversation with regulars while keeping the line moving.
I actually complimented a counter girl on everyone's teamwork and cheerful disposition despite the fast-paced shift, and she smiled and enthusiastically replied saying how much she loved working there. Cool! Always a plus when the staff is pumped to work there -- good juju.
I waited 14 minutes from start to finish for a large and in charge iced coffee (sugar cookie FTW), which is pretty significant, and I found myself wishing they had an express line for "just coffee," but since I was able to get some work done on my phone it wasn't a total loss; plus if I was waiting in line with a friend the time would have passed quickly, so it wasn't too bad.
I kept busy reading the descriptions of the coffee brews found in the carafes (fun!), and even though I was in the mood for iced coffee, I definitely purchased a small apple cider donut coffee to try as well. (spoiler alert: it was bomb! ‼) not too donutty sweet, and it absolutely had a hint of cider flavor to it.
This time I asked for coconut milk, which they had in the fridge behind the counter, so my intestines and I appreciated the assistance to reduce my dairy consumption.
I'm sure ADK Balloon Fest contributed to the influx of Sunday morning customers, but I think it would be awesome if they could implement some sort of express line so coffee buyers don't have to wait behind the peeps placing food orders, etc. I remember in grade school the milk buyers got in the cafeteria line *before* the kids who were buying a full lunch, so maybe that's a model to adopt ;) let's keep it moving, people!
Then again, patience is a virtue, so I guess I can incorporate a little of that into a Sunday morning visit to Cool Beans :)
4-stars today