Maria and I were in Carytown on Saturday afternoon. For those of you who don't live in Richmond, Carytown is an artsy area outside the city with lots of fun shops and restaurants; it's a great place to walk around on a sunny day. Maria had a Groupon that was about to expire from a bakery called Jean-Jacques, so we made sure to stop there and pick up some treats.
When we walked in, there seemed to be general chaos. Of the six tables, five had dirty dishes and needed to be cleaned off. The line to the register was so disorganized that we didn't know where it ended, and the two gentlemen being served looked completely baffled. It was as if someone was asking them for directions in a foreign language.
First, the men asked what the different cakes were in the display. That's fine, but they didn't seem to know what they even wanted. Then, one of the men said something like, "Once I buy one, then I have to buy six." Why? Just buy what you want - there is no need to purchase in half-dozen increments. The other gentleman then waved a credit card in the air, as if to say, "Don't worry - I am able to make this purchase for the two of us." Eventually, they completed a transaction and left.
When it was finally our turn to order, the cashier was grouchy. He was a tall, narrow, but muscular man in his mid-to-late twenties. He had straight blond hair parted on one side and could easily be cast as a surfer in a beach bum movie. Additionally, he was aggressively drinking a can of Sprite as he interacted with the customers.
It became clear from our brief interaction that this cashier hated his job. Consider the following:
1). He griped to us about how people order bread. Maria asked for a loaf of challah bread to take home, and the cashier was amazed that she correctly pronounced it "holla." He then went on an awkward rant that most people pronounce it with a "CH" sound in the beginning, and why would people buy a bread that they can't pronounce? He then said that some people ask him to slice the bread, which is apparently absurd. He said something like, "I mean, you just rip it off and eat it." Neither Maria nor I felt the need to mention that they will gladly slice it for you at Whole Foods. Remember, all of this started when Maria simply asked for a loaf of challah bread.
2). He was very smug with the Groupon. Maria told the cashier right up front that we had a Groupon. We've found it's best to just mention this in the beginning so it's not a surprise for the employee at the end. When Maria mentioned her Groupon, the cashier was extremely smarmy and said there was no need to tell him ahead of time. Maria politely said that some places ask for that information up front, but the cashier emphasized again that there was no need to do that. Gosh, sorry! Very smug.
3). He told us that he "hates people." Maria and I bought a few items to eat in the cafe area, so we sat down at the one clean table. There is a sign near the front that asks patrons to please bring their dirty dishes to an area in the back. In all fairness, it's a pretty small sign, so I can see how people would miss it. With no other customers now in line, the cashier came out with a busboy tray and griped to us that he couldn't believe some people left their dirty plates. I tried a light-hearted comment about how people are sometimes just lazy. Didn't work. He then said in a frustrated tone that he "hates people" and took the dishes to the back.
As we were leaving, a group of about ten people walked in. I left fully confident that they were going to disappoint the cashier in every way. Best wishes to everyone as they attempt to engage in a baked goods transaction at Jean-Jacques!
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