Thank You, Stranger: A barista never knew one regular's name, but years later reconnected in a special way
Moriah Stephens was a Caribou Coffee barista for more than eight years before becoming a special education teacher.
Courtesy Moriah Stephens
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Our “Thank You, Stranger” series is about the people who come into our lives and lend a little support, maybe make our days a little brighter. This time, we’ll hear how a customer let a former barista reflect on her career in an unexpected way.
Moriah Stephens told her story to MPR News producer Ellen Finn.
Thank You, Stranger is our series about unexpected kindness in our lives. If you have a story to share about a stranger who made your life a little brighter, we want to hear it.
Contact us at minnesotanow@mpr.org or (612) 361-1252.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
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Audio transcript
CATHY WURZER: Time for another of our series, Thank You, Stranger. It's about the people who come into our lives and lend a little support, maybe make our days a little brighter. This time, we'll hear how a customer let a former barista reflect on her career. Moriah Stephens told her story to NPR producer Ellen Finn.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
MORIAH STEPHENS: The other day, my mom and I had gone to the gym, and afterwards, She asked me if I wanted to go to Caribou with her. We're both teachers, and we're on summer break. And so she said, "You know, we haven't just like gone and hung out at a coffee shop in a while. Let's go to Caribou."
ELLEN FINN: They went to the Caribou at Knollwood Mall in St. Louis Park. It was not Moriah's first time there. Before becoming a teacher, she had spent eight years working as a barista there. And she loved it.
MORIAH STEPHENS: It was my first job ever. I always say that if money were no object, that is definitely the job that I would go back to.
ELLEN FINN: More than 10 years after hanging up her apron, Moriah still remembers what she loved the most-- the regular customers.
MORIAH STEPHENS: There are just some regulars who really-- you really connect with and they really stick out to you. So we were just sitting down, and I saw this man walk in. And as soon as he walked in, I had kind of a-- almost like a deja vu moment. And I saw that he was picking up a mobile order. And when I saw what the drinks were, I said, "Mom, I'm pretty sure that guy was a regular when I used to work here."
And I hesitated, but then I saw him stop to get napkins. And so then I basically ran over to him and I asked him if he has been a regular here for a long time. And he said, "I have." And I said, "Because you get a dark chocolate cooler with no toppings." And he looked at me and he said, "You used to work here?" And I said, "I did."
And what's funny is, this man, he never told us his name, but he would tell us things about his life. So he, at the time, had a daughter who was in school to be a veterinarian, and he had these pots that he would collect, and he would travel worldwide to collect these really ornate pots. And so I was asking him about that, and he said, "I cannot believe that you remember."
Because of the kind of people that you deal with-- you can deal with in customer service, like, the people who do ask you back how your day is or-- when I said, "Oh, I'm graduating from high school," and he came back later that day and essentially gave me a graduation gift. He gave me a $50 tip.
It's clear when they see you as a human and not just like a person in an apron. They really-- they make the job worthwhile. He asked how I was doing, and I told him how I graduated from college and I got a master's degree, and I am teaching special education right now, and that I am now also in graduate school to get my Director of Special Education License.
And he just-- he kept saying, "I am so proud of you. I am so proud of you." He, like, shook my hand and then he hugged me. And he kept thanking me for stopping him before he walked out. And he said, "You know, I am so glad that you stopped me." He goes, "This truly made my day, getting this update from you."
ELLEN FINN: It was then Moriah realized that while she never knew this man's name, in some small way, starting more than 14 years ago, he had seen her through the beginning of high school, graduation, summers home from college in her early 20s, just as she was getting her start on her career in education. And he had rooted her on.
MORIAH STEPHENS: I mean, I'm living a completely different life now for someone who doesn't know me, aside from being his barista. To hear those details about where I'm at in life and say, "I'm proud of you for what you've done," i mean, it affirmed for me, too, I'm doing something good, I'm doing something valuable. I was like, OK. I'm doing-- I am doing OK. It just made me really happy.
This is what we mean when we talk about how important community is. The world is on fire. There's chaos everywhere at all times. And so to be able to relish even something small and just know-- like this is a genuine, unfettered moment of joy that two people were able to share, we do need to do more of that. That was my place, and it was definitely regulars like the small, dark chocolate cooler, no toppings who made it that way.
CATHY WURZER: Love that. That was produced by Ellen Finn. If you have a story of kindness from a stranger, we want to hear it. Email us at minnesotanow@mpr.org. You can call and leave a voicemail at 612-361-1252.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
MORIAH STEPHENS: The other day, my mom and I had gone to the gym, and afterwards, She asked me if I wanted to go to Caribou with her. We're both teachers, and we're on summer break. And so she said, "You know, we haven't just like gone and hung out at a coffee shop in a while. Let's go to Caribou."
ELLEN FINN: They went to the Caribou at Knollwood Mall in St. Louis Park. It was not Moriah's first time there. Before becoming a teacher, she had spent eight years working as a barista there. And she loved it.
MORIAH STEPHENS: It was my first job ever. I always say that if money were no object, that is definitely the job that I would go back to.
ELLEN FINN: More than 10 years after hanging up her apron, Moriah still remembers what she loved the most-- the regular customers.
MORIAH STEPHENS: There are just some regulars who really-- you really connect with and they really stick out to you. So we were just sitting down, and I saw this man walk in. And as soon as he walked in, I had kind of a-- almost like a deja vu moment. And I saw that he was picking up a mobile order. And when I saw what the drinks were, I said, "Mom, I'm pretty sure that guy was a regular when I used to work here."
And I hesitated, but then I saw him stop to get napkins. And so then I basically ran over to him and I asked him if he has been a regular here for a long time. And he said, "I have." And I said, "Because you get a dark chocolate cooler with no toppings." And he looked at me and he said, "You used to work here?" And I said, "I did."
And what's funny is, this man, he never told us his name, but he would tell us things about his life. So he, at the time, had a daughter who was in school to be a veterinarian, and he had these pots that he would collect, and he would travel worldwide to collect these really ornate pots. And so I was asking him about that, and he said, "I cannot believe that you remember."
Because of the kind of people that you deal with-- you can deal with in customer service, like, the people who do ask you back how your day is or-- when I said, "Oh, I'm graduating from high school," and he came back later that day and essentially gave me a graduation gift. He gave me a $50 tip.
It's clear when they see you as a human and not just like a person in an apron. They really-- they make the job worthwhile. He asked how I was doing, and I told him how I graduated from college and I got a master's degree, and I am teaching special education right now, and that I am now also in graduate school to get my Director of Special Education License.
And he just-- he kept saying, "I am so proud of you. I am so proud of you." He, like, shook my hand and then he hugged me. And he kept thanking me for stopping him before he walked out. And he said, "You know, I am so glad that you stopped me." He goes, "This truly made my day, getting this update from you."
ELLEN FINN: It was then Moriah realized that while she never knew this man's name, in some small way, starting more than 14 years ago, he had seen her through the beginning of high school, graduation, summers home from college in her early 20s, just as she was getting her start on her career in education. And he had rooted her on.
MORIAH STEPHENS: I mean, I'm living a completely different life now for someone who doesn't know me, aside from being his barista. To hear those details about where I'm at in life and say, "I'm proud of you for what you've done," i mean, it affirmed for me, too, I'm doing something good, I'm doing something valuable. I was like, OK. I'm doing-- I am doing OK. It just made me really happy.
This is what we mean when we talk about how important community is. The world is on fire. There's chaos everywhere at all times. And so to be able to relish even something small and just know-- like this is a genuine, unfettered moment of joy that two people were able to share, we do need to do more of that. That was my place, and it was definitely regulars like the small, dark chocolate cooler, no toppings who made it that way.
CATHY WURZER: Love that. That was produced by Ellen Finn. If you have a story of kindness from a stranger, we want to hear it. Email us at minnesotanow@mpr.org. You can call and leave a voicemail at 612-361-1252.
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