Working: barista
April 5, 2009 by Adriana Janovich
Filed under Stories
By LETY CLARK-OLIVERO
UNLEASHED STAFF
Rich aromas fill the shop.
So do the sounds of whirring blenders and coffee grinders. Posters featuring the game schedules of nearby Eisenhower High School hang on the walls.
Behind the counter, Cassie Gordon is ready with a smile to make an espresso drink or blended beverage.
Her favorite is a caramel macchiato, unstirred. She likes the layers.
And she loves her customers. She says she knows 80 percent of them by first name or at least their regular drink order.
“I take great pride in knowing my customers,” she says.
Cassie Gordon, owner of the Tom Tom espresso stand, works in her shop. Gordon bought the shop two and a half years ago and employs seven people including herself.
Gordon, 29, is the owner of Tom Tom Espresso at 412 S. 40th Ave., across the street from Ike.
Gordon says she became interested in the espresso business when she was 15 and working at State Fair Park. She first made espresso drinks then.
She has worked at Tom Tom for three years now. She bought the business two and a half years ago.
At first, “It was scary to be responsible for someone else’s paycheck,” she says. “I went from total security to unknown.”
Now, Gordon employs six people plus herself. Most employees make minimum wage plus tips.
Gordon does everything from ordering supplies to delivering drinks to customers. Her shop is open every day, 24 hours a day, so she has had her fair share of long days.
Tom Tom sells beverages from Americanos to Italian sodas and lemonade. It also sells blended, iced beverages, fruit smoothies and other specialty drinks.
Snacks are also available, from muffins and chips to breakfast sandwiches and pork egg rolls.
Megan Kinney, a 17-year-old junior at Ike, is a frequent customer at Tom Tom, particularly during her lunch break. Her favorite drink is a peach-lemon iced tea. What keeps her coming back to Tom Tom?
“The staff is always pleasant, and their location is convenient,” she says.
Stephanie Carlsen, 56, of Yakima likes Tom Tom’s cappuccinos. She says the coffee shop being open all hours makes it easy to fit visits into her schedule. She frequently uses the drive-up window.
“Cassie always greets you with a smile,” Carlsen says.
Customer service is important to Gordon.
“I love my customers,” she says, adding the food service industry “is good for people.”
“It gets them on the other side of the counter and makes them more courteous, grateful and patient.”
• Lety Clark-Olivero is a member of the Yakima Herald-Republic’s Unleashed team. She attends Eisenhower High School.
