I’ve noticed lately,
with some sadness, that my local Caffè Nero is not what it was.
It’s nothing to do with the coffee, the premises, or the way that it’s run. What’s changed is the staff. Literally. Most of the people who worked there when I used to sit in to write have moved on to pastures new. The friendly faces who would ask me how I was and what I was up to have nearly all gone. They’ve been replaced by equally amiable faces (on different bodies: they’re not the same people), but however pleasant they may be, the magic has gone. There’s no connection. What was once a refuge for a frustrated out-of-work actor and comic is now a place to pop in and out of quickly. It’s no longer my Caffè Nero; it’s just another Caffè Nero.
I’ve lost my Cheers, my Moe’s, my Queen Vic. I’m like Frasier boycotting Café Nervosa, due to Elvis Costello – except my Costello is the Costello of the past. What I’m saying is: I miss it.
In many ways, it’s a positive. The staff I used to chat to have left to pursue things they really want to do. To expect them to stay would be selfish on my part – and if I tried to enforce it, it would quickly turn into a hostage scenario. Despite knowing I'm being unreasonable, it’s a shame. They made me feel very welcome, even if they privately wondered to themselves “Is he really going to come in every day?”
It’s nothing to do with the coffee, the premises, or the way that it’s run. What’s changed is the staff. Literally. Most of the people who worked there when I used to sit in to write have moved on to pastures new. The friendly faces who would ask me how I was and what I was up to have nearly all gone. They’ve been replaced by equally amiable faces (on different bodies: they’re not the same people), but however pleasant they may be, the magic has gone. There’s no connection. What was once a refuge for a frustrated out-of-work actor and comic is now a place to pop in and out of quickly. It’s no longer my Caffè Nero; it’s just another Caffè Nero.
I’ve lost my Cheers, my Moe’s, my Queen Vic. I’m like Frasier boycotting Café Nervosa, due to Elvis Costello – except my Costello is the Costello of the past. What I’m saying is: I miss it.
In many ways, it’s a positive. The staff I used to chat to have left to pursue things they really want to do. To expect them to stay would be selfish on my part – and if I tried to enforce it, it would quickly turn into a hostage scenario. Despite knowing I'm being unreasonable, it’s a shame. They made me feel very welcome, even if they privately wondered to themselves “Is he really going to come in every day?”