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When he started working at Jitters Coffee Cart his sophomore year, now-junior Joel Haines would occasionally doodle outdoor scenes of mountains or grand scenes from imaginary tales on the back of Charger Change deposit slips when business slowed down.
Many of his drawings ended up taped on the back of the Jitters’ cash register, which is now almost completely covered with drawings.
An outdoor-themed doodle taped on the top of the register reads, “A storm approached, but he cared not.” Next to it hangs a drawing of a single brick building in the middle of the country.
“I love the outdoors, so with the grind of Hillsdale, my mind drifts to where I want to be — the outdoors,” Haines said.
Last semester, when Haines shared a shift with senior Ben Strickland, Strickland added a few drawings of his own. He said he often draws his inspiration from popular culture, like he did when he drew “Star Wars” villain Kylo Ren with the caption, “Don’t be a Sith, drink coffee.”
Strickland said he and Haines play off one another’s doodles.
The baristas at Jitters have a tradition of decking the cafe with small drawings, like this one by junior Joel Haines. Evan Carter | Collegian
“We like to call this place Ben and Joel’s Coffee Emporium,” Strickland said.
Although the doodles were just something he and Haines started doing to fill time, Strickland said he believes they help set a distinctive atmosphere at Jitters.
“I think it goes into what we’re about. We’re not A.J.’s, you know?” Strickland said. “We like to keep our own Jitters culture.”
In addition to the small drawings that cover the back of the register, Jitters has always had neat art and short inspirational sayings — often about coffee — on the blackboards in the cafe. According to Strickland, he’s responsible for all the weird drawings on the blackboards, while junior Haley Talkington does all of the “nice drawings.”
He said the tradition of being artsy with the boards at Jitters goes back to alumnus Carl Vennerstrom ’13.
“I think it gives an atmosphere — something that people can look at while they’re waiting,” Strickland said.
