{"id":1975,"date":"2016-10-31T13:22:16","date_gmt":"2016-10-31T12:22:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=60893"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:22:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:22:08","slug":"barista-encourages-real-life-interaction-at-her-coffee-shop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2016\/10\/31\/barista-encourages-real-life-interaction-at-her-coffee-shop\/","title":{"rendered":"Barista encourages real-life interaction at her coffee shop"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Celeste Andeweg in haar koffiezaak.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAnna Mazur<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Where do Erasmus University students end up? In this section, EU alumni talk about their career and life after graduation: what did they learn along the way? And in the process, we glean some useful tips on what you should or shouldn\u2019t do when building a career for yourself.<\/p>\n\t

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Name:<\/strong>\u00a0Celeste Andeweg (25)<\/p>\n

Study:<\/strong>\u00a0Graduated in Commercial Law in 2014, after first earning a bachelor\u2019s degree in Law<\/p>\n

Current job:<\/strong> Runs her own coffee shop in Barendrecht: \u2019t Ouwe Durp. \u201cI\u2019m always busy with the shop, even after business hours. People warned me I would never really have any time off. I remember thinking \u2018it won\u2019t be as bad as all that\u2019 \u2013 well, forget about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Career:<\/strong>\u00a0She used to man the reception desk at the leisure park De Oude Maas in Barendrecht. The people whom she met there were having a good time, were relaxed and were always in for a chat. She enjoyed their company, while as a corporate lawyer, she would always be dealing with people with some issue or other. That\u2019s when she put two and two together: she \u2018wasn\u2019t cut out for helping whiners with their problems.\u2019 When a retail space in Barendrecht\u2019s historic centre became available at the same time, she decided to become a coffee and tea barista at her own shop, which she runs with her husband.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n

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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAnna Mazur<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

Average score in the AD coffee ranking<\/strong>
\n\u201cI was disappointed that we only scored \u2018more than adequate\u2019 in the coffee survey [Celeste ranks 65th<\/sup> in the list, eds.] published in the AD newspaper last Saturday, because I always go for 8-out-of-10 at the very least. Although it is nice to be judged by an objective third party every once in a while \u2013 it keeps you on your toes. And it\u2019s heartening to know we were nominated by our customers. Apparently we serve the best cuppa in their book.\u201d<\/p>\n

Too straightforward for sales<\/strong>
\n\u201cI\u2019m good at getting people enthusiastic since I\u2019m a very chatty person by nature. In my eyes, this trait doesn\u2019t really suit a lawyer, but it does suit my role as hostess. Although I do feel like a social worker occasionally, when customers start telling me their whole life story.\u201d
\n\u201cYou could say my enthusiasm comes in handy at the shop, where we sell all sorts of products linked to coffee or tea in some way. Although I\u2019m probably too straightforward for sales. For example, if people are interested in an expensive coffee maker, and I don\u2019t think it\u2019s the right one for them, I tell them so. It may not be a smart move commercially speaking, but I owe it to my \u2018moral compass\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Waste of my degree<\/strong>
\n\u201cSometimes I think it\u2019s a pity that I\u2019m not doing anything with my degree. Right now, I\u2019m using my brain in a very different way, because the combination of retail and hospitality requires a lot of improvising. For example, which customer should you help first? What\u2019s more: every aspect of the business needs to be taken care of: the coffee and tea need to taste right; you need to take good care of the espresso maker; create a friendly atmosphere. The most important thing is that everyone leaves in a good mood.\u201d<\/p>\n

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No Wi-Fi on purpose<\/strong>
\n\u201cCustomers occasionally remark \u2018how quiet\u2019 it is. They\u2019re right \u2013 and we do it on purpose. We want to create a setting where people can really meet one another. Sit back and relax; put your worries aside for a moment. To make it less tempting for customers to stare at their phones all the time, we decided not to offer Wi-Fi in the shop. Online interaction may be handy, but at the end of the day, talking face to face has more value.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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