The Morning Joe: Jitters barista Mikaela Herndon

Home Study Break The Morning Joe: Jitters barista Mikaela Herndon
The Morning Joe: Jitters barista Mikaela Herndon
Mikaela Herndon whips up a latte at Jitters in Lane. (Madeline Peltzer/Collegian)

 

Tell me a little bit about your role at Jitters.

“I’m currently the assistant manager of Jitters and will take over as manager next year after Alexander Green graduates. I work there eight hours a week three days a week, mostly in the morning.”

How did you start working at Jitters?

“I applied to Jitters during the second semester of my freshman year and started working there sophomore year, but I knew I wanted to try to get a job there from the beginning.  My brother came to Hillsdale, so I already knew about Jitters because a lot of his friends worked there. The atmosphere was cool, and it just seemed like a really neat place. I liked the idea of being in the middle of the bustle and seeing everyone going to and from classes. I saw it as a way to get plugged into the campus community. Plus, I’ve always wanted to work in a coffee shop.”

What drink is your personal favorite?    

“When I feel like treating myself, I make a caramel cinnamon iced latte. I’m from Florida, so I’m one of those people who’ll have an iced coffee no matter what time of the year it is.”

What’s the most popular item on the menu?

“Honestly, this is kind of uncanny because there’s not consistently any specific thing, but we’ll notice from one day to the next that people will come in throughout the day and order the exact same thing as everyone else.  It’s as if the campus wakes up and decides as a student body what they’re going to get that day. One day it’ll be caramel mochas, the next day it’s chai tea lattes, and another it’ll be drip coffee. It’s like it’s in the air and everybody just feels it. It’s very strange.”

Are there any “secret” menu items people don’t know about?

“One of the most underrated menu items is the honey cinnamon latte. I really like making those.  You steam the cinnamon into the milk and it wafts toward you and smells so good.”

Tell me about your most interesting customer experience.

“We had this one guy who was doing construction work on the roads in town. He came to Jitters a few times to get a drink and would say some pretty bizarre things.  One time he ordered two hot chocolates and told us, ‘Oh yeah, this other guy working construction is such a princess—just spit in. I’ll give you a hundred dollars if you’ll just spit in it.’ I didn’t know how to respond and was just thinking ‘I’m a broke college student, but I’m definitely not that broke.’ I kind of laughed it off but it was a really odd interchange.”

What’s the hardest part about working at Jitters?

“It’d probably just be the fact that we have to get all our supplies from AJ’s, so if we run out of something, someone has to get the cart and run all the way over to the union and bring it back. The distance can make things stressful.”

Do you like the fast-paced environment?

“I like it for short amounts of time. It trains your problem-solving faculties. If something breaks down or if a customer has already paid for their drink and I can’t give it to them for some reason, I have to think if there’s something else I can offer instead of the item they ordered. You have to think on your feet, which is a good skill to cultivate in general.”

What would you add to Jitters if you could?

“I think it’s nice to have handmade baked goods in Jitters.  Last year we had energy balls and for National Cappuccino Day last week we had fresh cookies. I’d like to see us bring some of that back and make them a regular part of our selection.”

You recently started working at Penny’s as well.  How do Jitters and Penny’s compare?

“They’re completely different. Penny’s is more of a sit-down coffee shop environment whereas Jitters is fast-paced and everyone is moving through. I like the variety between them. It’s a good balance.”