The Life of a College Starbucks Barista

By Sophia Larimore in Around Campus October 7, 2023

For those craving a pick-me-up on the Illinois Central College East Peoria campus, the coffee shop on the top floor of the Technology Center is a popular destination. Anyone who frequents this Starbucks also eventually gets to know barista Katie Higgins, even if they don’t know her by name. Higgins has worked at the Starbucks for three years, where she serves customers and manages many parts of the operation.

Harbinger Student Media’s Sophia Larimore caught up with Higgins for an interview one day while she was on the job. Larimore discovered, among other topics, how the ICC Starbucks is not technically a Starbucks, what the ICC community of students is like, and why in the world does it seem like there’s never any oat milk.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

So, do you like your job? How’s it like working here? Is there anything that’s your favorite?

I do like my job. And it’s kind of fun working here. There’s a lot of younger kids who are just super sweet and super nice. Which is also my favorite part of the job. I love my regular customers.

Do you consider the students who order from your Starbucks a community? Like the people around this little area around here, where all these students come and gather and work on their homework.

I do think they are a community, I see a lot of the same students every day. And they’re always hanging out. But I also see them interacting and mixing up tables and this is just a really good hangout spot. And I’m glad it’s being utilized. And I love to see it. Everybody’s so nice to each other.

Do you recognize faces or names?

I’m not good with names, but I do recognize faces. Yeah, I know my regulars. I know their drinks.

What’s your least favorite part of your job?

My least favorite part is when it gets super busy. And I make a huge mess that I can’t clean up until I’m done with like all my customers. So, I’m just working in like a river of milk and the sticky floor.

Who do you work for? Do you know what “Proudly Serving” is? Because I know that’s in Barnes and Nobles a lot or in Target, and I know they aren’t actual Starbucks.

I actually work for Nestle, and Canteen, which is the company that runs the cafeteria. They signed a deal with Nestle. And Nestle owns some of Starbucks. So, I can serve Starbucks, but I am not an actual Starbucks.

Do you think it’d be different, community-wise, working at an actual Starbucks?

Yes, I do feel like when I did work with an actual Starbucks, there were certain people who would come on certain days, and it was routine. And they actually built relationships with us as baristas. However, I do think it’s a lot more community-based here, because I’m seeing the same faces every day. And so are they, whereas the actual Starbucks, yeah. It’s just strangers who don’t really want to interact.

So, I have a little question, and everyone is dying to know this answer: what is up with the oat milk?

So basically, the oat milk is our most popularly used milk. And I order so much of it for a week, and we just use it all.

There’s just no supply? It’s just that people just like oat milk too much. That’s the problem?

Yes. And also the fact that sometimes delivery is off. Sometimes it doesn’t come on the day that it’s supposed to come, and it’s almost always running late for some reason.

What’s the biggest complaint that you get here that annoys, you? You’re like, “Why are you complaining about this?” Is there anything like that that happens here?

It doesn’t really annoy me, but I do get complaints every single day about my short straws. And I just currently can’t order any other size for some reason. Doesn’t really make any sense. But yeah, short straws are awful. And I do apologize to everybody for the fact that I have short straws and they don’t fit in the venti Frappuccinos

(At this point in the interview she was called to take orders from customers)

So, do you like Starbucks coffee? Do you go out and buy coffee from Starbucks? Or do you make it at home? Or do you go to like a Dunkin Donuts or, you know, some kind of competing company?

When I make my own coffee, I don’t really use Starbucks stuff. I’ll usually just do a coffee that I get from Costco and a little bit of cream. I don’t really buy coffee outside of here. But I feel like working here made me like coffee less. So, I don’t really drink a lot of it anymore. I’m more of an energy drink kind of person.

What do you think of the Starbucks coffee prices?

So, I did some work with the prices so they would be a little bit cheaper because I want the students to be able to actually afford getting coffee. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if we did need to raise prices. Because product prices are so high, that it makes it more difficult for me to keep everything in stock when I don’t have that much money. I have to make the money to spend it. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if they go up a little bit. I think they should go up a little bit. But we are a little bit cheaper than most Starbucks.

I have definitely noticed because I’ll go to a Starbucks and a venti is like $8 or something. And it’s crazy. And then I come here, and I’ll get a venti for $6. And it’s really nice, because college students are, you know, usually pretty broke.

Yeah, exactly. I understand that. But that part of the reason why sometimes we’re understaffed, just because this (she gestures to a syrup product) costs more than it would at Starbucks. So, I would have to raise prices to always keep it always in stock.

Are you in college? Or have you been in college?

Not yet. I am thinking about taking some business classes, so I can open my own business. But I have not started yet.

Is there anything you want to talk about just as someone who works at Starbucks? Anything you think about that you would like to let the community know?

I guess the only thing I would have to say is that I appreciate everybody’s willingness to still continue and buy coffee when I’m out of every single thing. People still really want coffee, and that just makes me happy. And I’m glad that I’ve been able to work here for so long and get to know a lot of the students and just learn more about the coffee and stuff like that.

It’s definitely a nice place to people around here. I will talk to people. They’re like, “Oh, yeah, Katie did this for me!” And I’m like, “Oh, Katie! I know!” You’ll talk to people [customers] and they will know your name.

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