Teach me to be a barista activist!
thracia...@bluebottle.com
a gay bar. As an LGBTQ activist for MANY years, I've come up with this
idea to convince this or that gay bar here in S.F. to include a full
menu of coffee drinks and hot chocolate/teas. I'm SURE this will bring
in more customers, as well as helping heal regular patrons from
excessive drunken stupor. But in order to achieve my dream, I first
need to become an excellent barista myself.
Does anyone have the EQUIPMENT (espresso machine, etc.) to teach me how
to be the PERFECT barista...that i may accomplish this dream like a
blazing star? This must be in the city of San Francisco, only, as I do
not own a car, and live on a small stipend (social security). I am 56
years old, with many years experience fighting for gay rights. See for
yourself at my web site "gay-bible.org".
What can I offer in exchange for your generous barista training? Well,
moolah's out of the question...so how about a GREAT friendship? I'm
also an excellent vegan and vegetarian cook. Need someone to motivate
you to exercise? I can do that, too...I take power walks, do hatha
yoga, and light weight lifting/isometrics. I'm also great shmoozing
company at coffeehouses and restaurants. My sense of humor is beyond
compare! I'm also a pagan and shaman/trickster for my queer brothers.
So if you're into a positive-attitude, spiritual non-Xian friendship,
I'm your guy!
Please respond via e-mail form
and I'll get back to you ASAP. Thanks for your interest, and happy
solstice! (BTW, tomorrow (Fri., Dec. 22), the gay bar Eagle Tavern at
12th & Harrison, S.F.) is holding a Winter Solstice Celebration.
Doesn't really take off until 9pm (live band, no cover)...but if you
wanna meet me, why not show up? I'll be there by 8pm. Just ask for
Zeke...everyone there knows me.
Sinqueerly,
Zeke Krahlin
Jehovah's Queer Witness
Stacey Weinberger
would a bar want to compete with a Starbucks?
Stacey
<thracia...@bluebottle.com> wrote in message
news:1166733978.2...@80g2000cwy.googlegroups.com...
Barnabas Collins
>Hello! I have a dream...and that is to be the world's first barista in
>a gay bar.
Hasn't Starbucks beaten you to that idea?
>Does anyone have the EQUIPMENT (espresso machine, etc.) to teach me how
>to be the PERFECT barista...that i may accomplish this dream like a
>blazing star? This must be in the city of San Francisco, only, as I do
>not own a car, and live on a small stipend (social security). I am 56
>years old, with many years experience fighting for gay rights. See for
>yourself at my web site "gay-bible.org".
Maybe get a job at starbucks and they'll train you?
Barnabas Collins
<popp...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>It won't happen as long as there is a Starbucks on every corner in S.F. Why
>would a bar want to compete with a Starbucks?
I'm not sure what the laws are in San Franscisco but here in this
corner of the US of A bars that serve alcohol must also serve
food, coffee, and other non-alcolic drinks.
thracia...@bluebottle.com
> It won't happen as long as there is a Starbucks on every corner in S.F. Why
> would a bar want to compete with a Starbucks?
Hey Stacey! This is not a matter of competition, but of good business
and social sense, IMO. Many gays do not go to gay bars, because of the
alcohol...but would nonetheless enjoy a hangout for sexual minorities.
The only places that are such, are not coffeehouses or other venues but
one: gay bars.
If gay bars had an extensive coffee menu, more gays would PREFER to
hang out there, than at Starbucks.
Also, if a patron has had enough to drink (of alcohol), he might decide
to head to the nearest coffeehouse, or home. But if really good coffee
drinks were also served at gay bars, he's more like hang out there
longer, and spend MORE money, including tips.
For me, this is a very good solution as part of the big picture of
HEALING our queer community. But how does one foster the reduction of
excessive alcohol intake withOUT taking business away from gay
bars...which are the best social network we have, for better or worse.
So I've been looking at ways to build upon this existing network, in
order to make our LGBT community more sociable, cohesive, healthy and
self-governing.
At least, this is ONE way a queer shaman like myself can manifest a
group healing...on as vast a scale as possible, that it may reach as
MANY as possible.
--
Zeke Krahlin
http://www.gay-bible.org
thracia...@bluebottle.com
> I'm not sure what the laws are in San Franscisco but here in this
> corner of the US of A bars that serve alcohol must also serve
> food, coffee, and other non-alcolic drinks.
Perhaps; I haven't looked into that aspect, myself. However, what
coffee IS served at bars is SO bad, usually, as to be unworthy of a
real coffeehouse. THAT, my friend, is NO way to lure non-alcohol
drinkers. But imagine for a moment, a menu of flavorful coffee
beverages, as well as hot chocolate, and healthful life-restoring,
immune-system-enhancing teas!
This is a non-judgmental, comapssionate, and (if I say so myself) a
rather CLEVER way of contributing towards the healing (and liberation)
of our LGBT community. Further, success in my mission (if it happens)
will be credited to a PAGAN, not a xian.
Even if I don't achieve my dream PERSONALLY, it is my hope that the
IDEA itself will simply take wing and spread like wildfire (mixed
metaphor, sorry) throughout ALL gay bars in the world.
thracia...@bluebottle.com
> Hasn't Starbucks beaten you to that idea?
NOT in a gay bar. Further: I don't know of any coffeehouse that is OPEN
and NEAR a gay bar during the evenings and nights. So essentially, the
bars would have NO competition...which is good for THEIR business (as
well as karma). Of course, we should include decaffeinated brews, as
well as hot chocolate and excellent herbal teas.
I think my idea is so deceptively SIMPLE, that it's easy to overlook
the sheer GENIUS of it. :b
gentile...@gmail.com
questions -- with all the hustle and bustle of the late night bar
scene, would it be safe to have HOT drinks around? Imagine the spills
and potential burns...