The assignment had a strict no interview rule, just observe, eavesdrop and "show, don't tell" what you see.
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The smell of coffee is the first thing to be noticed, followed quickly by the mellow indie music playing over the speakers. The atmosphere is inviting; dimly lit, calm, peaceful. It is a Thursday afternoon at the Ugly Mug Cafe, a local coffee shop near Eastern Michigan's campus, and it is hard to find a seat.
The walls are painted a dark teal, decorated by presumably local art and other interesting pieces. Not initially noticed, on top of the drink cooler located right next to the entrance is a 3 foot tall figure of one of the Three Wise Men. A smaller statue of Jesus joins the Wise Man, though it stands to be mentioned that these are likely for artistic purposes, rather than religious. There is a bulletin board full of flyers, informing patrons of events, including local music release parties, an upcoming handmade craft fair and the Depot Town Farmers' Market.
One of the walls in the cafe is lined with books. Some appear to be forgotten textbooks, the yellow USED sticker still stuck near the bottom of the spine. Others beg the question, “Why is this here?” One of these books in particular being book No. 8 of “The Babysitters,” a series written by the author of the similarly-named “The Babysitter's Club”.
The menu for the cafe hangs above the counter, written across multiple chalkboards. On the wall above that, there is another figure of Jesus and a pop-art painting of a boombox. The most attention grabbing piece of art is the large bass drum, hanging on the wall. On the front of the bass drum is the word “drugs,” spelled out in black electric tape and illuminated from behind by the small light bulbs inside the drum.
The patrons here are quiet, most of them absorbed in their laptop or a good book, isolating themselves with a pair of headphones. The easiest way to describe the majority of them would be “hipster.” The most common laptop at the Ugly Mug on this day is a Dell, contrary to the stereotypical Macbook associated with most coffee shops.
One male in the cafe organizes his iTunes library. A female, seated nearby, wearing a black long-sleeved shirt with a large X on the back, updates her Tumblr. The two, apparently here together, share a few hugs. “Um, we're kind of in public right now,” the male says. Customers seated outside, unwilling to separate the perhaps perfect combination of coffee and cigarettes, come inside every so often to dispose of their dishes or refill their mugs.
The employees work diligently to craft every customer's drink, with perfect ease. The male barista, wearing a red knit cap, thick rimmed glasses and complementary facial hair, pours the cream into a female's vanilla latte, making a design. The design is the perfect secret, shared between barista and customer—the icing-on-the-cake detail almost guaranteed to make one's latte tangibly more delicious.
The patrons of the Ugly Mug are loyal to their cafe. Many of the customers coming in are on a first-name basis with the baristas. “Thank you! See you later,” one of the customer says with a smile and a wave, making sure both baristas receive her gratitude before she departs.
