For some, the hungover shuffle into sun-filled Switchback Coffee Roasters on a Saturday morning might only be described as humbling.
Head pounding, sunglasses on and the hiss of the espresso machine vibrating through your soul as you wait in line. Then the hottest barista you’ve ever seen sets your coffee down, looks you in the eye and asks how you’re doing. Just like that, you’re awake.
For some regulars, the welcoming atmosphere is what makes Switchback their go-to destination and they say the coffee wouldn’t be the same without the baristas pouring it.
A conversation with a handful of Colorado College seniors revealed that admiration for the Switchback staff has evolved into something close to campus lore. Over the years, students have assigned nicknames for certain baristas.
“Well, yeah,” Isabel Bragg shared, “there’s Gracie Abrams dupe and then there’s Sexy Mustache.”
Maintaining a certain energy amongst your cafe staff is no novice idea. Coined “The Barista Effect,” a pleasant interaction with a service worker can influence whether a customer returns.
One Switchback barista, who didn’t want to share her name, said she, too, has picked up on the alluring energy of the staff.
“At first, I was pretty nervous because I thought everybody who worked here was really cool,” she said.
Now she’s part of the culture herself and counts her co-workers among her best friends.
“We all get along, hang out and go to fun events,” she said.
With plenty of employees starting as regulars before managers hired them, Switchback’s key to success might not be just its roasting technique, but the staff that keeps students returning every Saturday morning.