More than just coffee: breakfast as a daily performance

Since we experienced lockdown, among the many needs we felt was undoubtedly the need to take time to consume meals properly. We became more aware of the importance of social interaction.

Breakfast, as the saying goes, is the time to eat like a king (followed by “lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper”), marking the true start of the day. And if we manage to dedicate a few moments to ourselves—to breathe, pause, and clear our minds—we truly start the day on the right foot.

Thus, breakfast becomes a ritual, essential habit we can’t forgo. And you, barista, during this time have the power to intervene and make the simple act of having breakfast a multisensory experience, where the customer feels pampered and understood. It’s not just about what’s served, but how it’s prepared, presented, and savoured.

Every detail you incorporate into your breakfasts helps to awakening people's senses: the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, the golden, flaky croissant, the vibrant colours of a bowl of fresh fruit, the soft background music, and the silky texture of apricot jam spread onto a biscuit.

As a barista, you can create something unique for every customer, customising your offerings to suit their preferences. This could mean providing a diverse range of milk options for their coffee - not just cow's milk, but also soy or almond milk - alongside a vegan croissant, whole grain pastries, apple pie, chocolate muffins, or an assortment of savoury delights.

But beyond the food, it’s the small gestures that go beyond the five senses and warm the hearts of your customers. These can make breakfast feel like an artful performance: a sincere good morning smile, a delicate flower drawn in cappuccino foam, attention to spotless tables, friendly service, remembering regulars, and welcoming new faces into the fold.

Every element contributes to the scene that you, as the barista and director, orchestrate to showcase the care and passion you pour into your work and to transform the customers' breakfast into a moment to remember. And to perpetuate.

Care and variety are the keys to making the breakfast performance effective every day. Stay attentive to new trends, experiment with flavours and presentation, and make each customer feel valued.  Offer them that sense of well-being they can’t find anywhere else but with you.