A quick-thinking Starbucks barista in Corpus Christi, Texas, set the bar for coffee makers all over the world when he saw a young customer in need.
The Starbucks employee has been widely praised for discreetly stepping in when a teenage girl was approached by a man acting strangely.
The 18-year-old female had been studying quietly at the coffee shop when staff noticed a man loudly talking to her. Sensing potential danger, a barista came up with a subtle plan to check if she was okay.
The barista handed her a cup and said it was “an extra hot chocolate someone forgot to pick up.”
However, written on the side was the message: “Are you okay? Do you want us to intervene? If you do, take the lid off the cup.”
Teen’s Mother Shares Heartwarming Story
The teen’s mother, Brandy Roberson, shared the incident on Facebook, expressing her gratitude for the staff’s vigilance.
“She said she was like ‘gasp.’ She looked up and all of the employees were staring at her, ready to help, she was so touched by that,” Roberson told KRIS 6 News.
Writing on Facebook, the mom said: “My 18 year-old daughter was at Starbucks, alone, the other night. A man came up to her and started talking to her. A barista handed her ‘an extra hot chocolate someone forgot to pick up.’ How grateful I am for people who look out for other people!”
Roberson clarified: “She felt safe and did not remove the lid, but let them know. She said the whole team was watching over her the rest of the time she was there.”
She added: “Thank you to the team at Starbucks on Staples and SPID in Corpus Christi.”
“A great example for other people, for other businesses, I don’t know if that Starbucks trains their baristas that way, if they don’t, my gosh take a note from this crew,” she told KRIS.
Social Media Praise and Viral Reaction
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The story quickly went viral, racking up tens of thousands of shares and countless comments from people commending the Starbucks employees for their quick thinking.
One commenter wrote: “So thoughtful and so happy to know there are incredible people paying attention.”
Another Facebook user added: “This restores my faith in humanity. This is sorority, protection, and love for the other. Not a simple spectator who sees the danger and pulls out their cell phone.”
Another added: “As a father of a daughter, I’m glad people are still looking out.”
Others emphasized the importance of speaking up in uncertain situations. “In today’s society, more people should be proactive like this. You just never know what a situation really is. Kudos to the alert Starbucks staff,” one person commented.
The overwhelming response highlighted how small actions can make a huge difference, with many calling for other businesses to train their employees in similar ways.
A Starbucks coffee shop.People were calling on more staff to be trained to be as vigilant. Credit: Jeremy Moeller / Getty
In a world where looking the other way is often easier, this Starbucks crew showed that sometimes, a simple note on a coffee cup can be a powerful act of kindness.
