That’s How the Cookie Crumbles

Colombo has more than a double dozen cozy nooks that serve desserts and coffee and a dozen more splendid coffee shops where we all enjoy a cuppa, a convo and a quiet moment while taking a whiff of the aromatic beans as they are ground and brewed.

Just thinking about it is heavenly, so we need to put a stop to the pesky intruders to our coffee haven by getting them to be full of etiquette. Here are half a dozen things to be mindful of and need rectification.

1. The Sweet Orchestra
   While adding a touch of sweetness to their cup, some add more than a tad of noise to the atmosphere. Clanging of cutlery against crockery is to be avoided at all times. One must not think of creating the same sounds that are heard from a roadside tea shop.
2. Daydreaming
   Not paying attention to your order number or name and irritating both the staff and other patrons as the same name or number is repeated is not funny. Focus and hang around near the counter until you get everything that you ordered.
3. The Metal Ramble
   Having conversations with your mic on and subjecting others to the slightest crackle is an invasion of their peace.
4. Kid Watching
   Kids running to other tables needs to be managed more than it is at a restaurant. Kids could easily run around and sit on a couch with some strangers or maybe even treat themselves to a yummy food item that is within reach on a fellow diner’s coffee table.
5. The Mobs

Choose a space that is suitable, in terms of both the place and the seat. Don’t choose a tiny coffee shop for ten together; it would only be a nuisance for everyone else and an embarrassment for you. If you seem to have a crowd with you, call ahead and reserve a spot that will cause less chaos.

6. Cookies and all Those that Crumble
   Lounge seating is not the most comfortable for dining, coffee shops have these kinds of seating for those who want to kickback and relax. Pick your plate up as you bite in to cookies or fork out pieces of cake that crumble so that you don’t create a general mess of things and make it unsightly for others.

I for one, plan to spend a day or two of my vacation at one of my favourite cozy nooks sipping a cuppa and my wish for Christmas would be that my mind and soul are left in peace by fellow patrons who too are full of etiquette.

Photo by American Heritage Chocolate on Unsplash