By: Meredith Staley
It's a quiet, early morning at Three Tree in the Library. This is one of Three Tree's Statesboro locations and is a popular spot for students at Georgia Southern.
Maya McCauley and Reagan Hughes put on their aprons as they prepare to open for their shift. Maya (seen right) is the manager for this location and Reagan is as a worker.
Maya begins her shift by skillfully tamping an espresso shot. To make sure the espresso tastes right for customers, this is a crucial part of her shift.
Reagan folds and prepares small white towels. These are helpful for cleaning up after the coffee bar area gets messy.
Maya takes a sip of the day's first espresso shot. Doing this lets her know how well the coffee tastes for her guests.
The La Marzocco machine sits atop the counter. For Maya and Reagan, this is their pride and joy as baristas.
Reagan talks over plans for the shift with Maya, such as who is taking which sides of the bar. This communication is essential for them to succeed as a team.
Shortly after, Reagan checks in on the cold brew supply for the morning. This is one of Three Tree's most popular things, going in drinks such as the Big Eagle.
Pastries are another big seller for Three Tree, so ensuring the case is full is crucial. Maya and Reagan fill each shelf full of goodies to prepare for their shifts.
Before opening, Reagan tastes a shot of espresso that Maya has pulled. Once she approves, both know that the machine is ready to pull shots for the day.
Once the clock hits 8:00 a.m., Maya and Reagan stand up, preparing for customers. They stand by, eagerly awaiting the morning customers.
Reagan prepares the first drink order of the day! She has been a barista at Three Tree for around two years.
As Reagan prepares another drink, Maya finishes up a frozen coffee. The two work together behind the bar simultaneously to get the drinks out.
When mornings have slow points, Maya and Reagan try to pass the time. Drawing fun pictures on a cup is a nice way to have fun during the slow points of their shift.
Reagan and Maya discuss their drawings for the day. Reagan is unsure about Maya's drawing on her cup.
Maya turns the steam wand on before steaming milk for a latte for me. The cloud of steam always makes for a cool, dramatic effect.
Maya skillfully pours in the steamed milk to create latte art. This element of Maya's job takes lots of practice to get all of the swirls and lines right.
A vanilla latte is handmade just for me. Latte art is one of Maya's favorite things to do at her job.
Maya and Reagan pose one last time before the morning rush comes in. Following this, I drank the delicious vanilla latte they gave me.
