Column: Long live The Daily Grind

This is my last column for The Daily Tar Heel. It’s been two and a half years, and I’ve asked a lot of UNC in this column during that time. I was going to write this column asking the University to renew The Daily Grind’s contract. But then the news came that our contract would not be renegotiated or extended.

The atmosphere of a small independent cafe can’t be replicated. If the Grind matters to you like it matters to me, let Brad Ives and the Board of Trustees know.

On the first night of this semester I had a breakdown, feeling the weight of every single class, organization and project that I had taken on. I didn’t want to stop working for this newspaper, I didn’t want to say goodbye to The Siren, I couldn’t drop more classes or my internship.

I never considered leaving my job at The Daily Grind. Now it seems I don’t have a choice.

When I started work at the Grind last June I was terrified each time I clocked in because I messed up virtually nonstop. Now I look forward to seeing my co-workers every morning.

Like every other person in the world, I gripe about my job, about the day I once finished work with 27 cents in tips (seriously y’all?), but I love our customers so much.

There’s this magic moment that happens when you work the night shift at the Grind. A student, busy and exhausted, will just open up.

A guy comes in at 10 p.m. holding an organic chemistry textbook and orders a 20 ounce coffee. I ask him if everything is OK, and that wall between worker and customer is broken. We’re exchanging exam stories, and the next day I think about him and hope his test went well.

I meet a customer as she has her first ever shot of espresso. We talk about how long it takes to actually love the taste. Next time she comes in, she tells me about the job interview she just finished. We’re on a first name basis. I hope she got that job.

Most of the time you see my co-workers, we’re running around, taking orders and rushing to get your drinks to you as quickly as humanly possible. So you might just know them as flustered but friendly. I want you to know they are all excellent people.

When I work the night shift, I work alone. I can’t leave to go to the bathroom or take a break.

But sometimes a co-worker will stop by the Grind on their way to the library and see me drowning in customers. They will start to take orders so that I can focus on making drinks. They’ll hold it down so I can run to the bathroom. I don’t have space to list the things that I love about the weird, wonderful people who work at The Daily Grind.

Here is what I want you to do. First, tip your baristas because a lot of us might become unemployed. Second, tell the Board of Trustees what you think of this decision. Tell them your Daily Grind stories. Show them that independent small businesses still matter to the UNC community.