At least twice a week I take a lovely stroll past the bus stop, Vanille, Ricardo’s, and the windy corner on Clark and Dickens to reach Starbucks. I am always there to pick up my grande Peach Green Tea, and occasionally a Petite Vanilla Scone.
When I walk in, I am greeted by the familiar faces of the baristas I see weekly. Laughter, smiles, and good music fill the small space. I know I am romanticizing Starbucks, but I genuinely look forward to my trips each week because of its employees. For the thirty-ish students who grab Starbucks daily, the employees are doing God’s work to keep everyone awake and happy. The drinks are great, and the friendliness (and stickers) add to the experience of buying from Clark & Dickens.
A Peach Green Tea is not easy to make. It requires the perfect ratio of peach juice to green tea to ice. That Starbucks does it better than any other one, creating what I call a “crisp” drink. Over 50% of the time I categorize my PGT from Clark & Dicken’s as “crisp,” way higher than the 25% I get from my neighborhood Starbucks. I would argue that Clark & Dickens is the best Starbucks out there!
The employees are always kind and humorous even during the lunch and PE rush. I don’t think you could give a bad review to everyone who has ever been to that Starbucks. They could have 30 orders and still make your drink in under fifteen minutes. I find it immensely impressive, but I know many of us have tight schedules, so fifteen minutes can feel like forever. It’s half a lunch period! Yet, when you think about it, their efficiency is unlike any other Starbucks I’ve experienced in the city or even in the country.
Employees, you may not know this, but you were there for me when my family put my dog down. He was fifteen, and we were on the way to Family Pet to put him to rest. But, on the way, we stopped at Clark & Dickens. I asked you for a pup cup while crying and you got me one. I fed it to my dog Lou, and it was the best last snack he could have had.
I know that other Parker kids can say they’ve had a similar experience. Whether they failed a test, needed to talk with a friend outside of the small Parker walls, or needed a stroll, you were always their first destination, and you gave them something that always cheered them up: a coffee/refresher and most importantly, a smile.
To the baristas, thank you for getting me through high school. Having you down the street has been actually life-saving (or maybe grade-saving?). Don’t worry I’ll probably be back a couple dozen more times. When I get rejected from a college, I’ll swing by. I will miss you next year, and it’s unlikely that wherever I go to college I will find a Starbucks just as good as yours.
