The wandering barista

It happened on the break of Christmas — cold enough to snow, but warm enough to turn everything into a grey slush. I had no time to get a proper breakfast and the bus was getting late. Then I heard a low, warm voice saying: "Hey, bud, take this." It was a fresh sandwich and a cup of the best-smelling pumpkin latte. The man was running a coffee cart. I must've missed it with all the commotion. "Fuck the bad weather", he added cheerfully. "Let's start the day with a smile." Before I could ask anything, my bus arrived and I had to go. I've tried looking for him near the spot on several occasions but I never saw him again.

— A Memorable Encounter

Summary

The wandering barista is an urban legend, that appeared around early 2030 in Warsaw. According to the accounts of witnesses, around the time of early winter or early spring, a coffee cart appears out of nowhere. It is run by a bearded hipster, who provides a single cup of fancy hot coffee to those, who desperately need it.

Historical Basis

Possible trail attempts were made to find the root of the story but with little effect. By around 2027 coffee carts were very popular, some owned by the local coffee roasters for marketing purposes. However, after closer inspection, none matched the descriptions presented by the witnesses.

Spread

Though the legend started in Warsaw, somewhere around 2031/2032 similar accounts of it appeared in Poznań. It was different with respect to the person — some thought they saw a beautiful short and cheerful girl, others that the person was a male, but clean-shaved and wearing a suit. The other details remained fairly the same — the stranger gifted a cup of hot coffee and a Martin's Croissant.

Variations & Mutation

In some versions of the myth, the wandering barista was said to have two set of hands — one to roast the coffee and ground the beans, and another to prapre tha fancy splash on top of the foam. The "Mordor" parts mention the stranger gifting a cigarette, precisely when they ran of it.

Cultural Reception

The figure of a wandering barista is popular in coffee-afficionado circles and has become a source of inspiration for many coffee-themed events, including A Friendly Roast or One Grain at a Time. No matter the place and time, the wandering barista always invokes memories of warmth and calm.

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