College is sometimes synonymous with coffee. But the people behind the counter can offer more personality than any carefully crafted coffee design could. In the days leading up to midterms, here are some of the Syracuse coffee shop baristas behind the Instagram-worthy latte art we all know and love. 

Talia Trackim | Digital Design Director

When Kae Bonaguro got their start in the coffee industry as a cafe manager, they didn’t like the taste of coffee. It wasn’t until a year and a half later that Bonaguro — a self-proclaimed “stubborn Taurus” — started drinking black coffee.  

The turning point away from sugary lattes came when Bonaguro smelled fresh coffee beans for the first time at a local roaster in their college town of Bloomington, Indiana. Today, Bonaguro works as the event coordinator for Salt City Coffee and collaborates with local nonprofits.  

Bonaguro originally wanted to pursue teaching, but said they now channel their love for education by imparting knowledge onto customers who are eager to learn more about the coffee they’re drinking. 

 

Molly Gibbs | Photo Editor

“A lot of coffee drinking and coffee brewing is about storytelling,” Bonaguro said. “The exchange and the growth of knowledge.” 

In their nearly two months with Salt City Coffee, Bonaguro said one highlight has been the opportunity to undergo Narcan training with coworkers. Bonaguro appreciated that their boss supported this training, they said, since not every café would do the same. 

“It really stood out to me that the owners were really invested in not only making us better people,” they said, “but actively investing in their employees as community members.” 

Bonaguro hopes to continue making a difference in the service industry by helping people recognize that the jobs in these respective fields require a significant amount of skill. They are actively researching issues of compensation and workplace conflicts by talking with baristas and other food service employees. 

“Being a barista is tough, and it takes a lot of skilled work, and it takes a lot of preparation,” they said. “Anything in the service industry does.” 

Talia Trackim | Digital Design Director

Pour-overs are what inspire Ariana Manwaring, manager of Cafe Kubal’s Armory Square location, to get her day going. She said grinding up the coffee, smelling it, pouring the hot water then watching it simmer and go through the filter is something she looks forward to each day. 

Manwaring has worked at Cafe Kubal for three years. The Syracuse native said she’s supportive of the city’s local coffee industry and strongly believes in both the people and the product of Cafe Kubal. 

“I learned if you drink good quality coffee, then you don’t need to hide it behind sugar and cream,” she said. “And I believe Kubal brings that out — what true coffee should be.” 

Although she’s not a latte drinker, Manwaring has spent a significant amount of time watching @Baristaswag on Instagram to perfect her latte art skills. Manwaring said she enjoys getting to put her “signature” on lattes and seeing people light up when they see a design on their beverage. 

Successful latte art is based on a mix of factors, she said, including the texture of the milk, quality espresso and perfected wrist technique. 

Talia Trackim | Digital Design Director

Tatiana Berkley said she always wanted to be a barista, even though she doesn’t love coffee. Although the job can be laid back at times, she said, her favorite part is when the cafe gets busy.  

She loves when there’s a rush and particularly enjoys steaming milk while preparing flavored lattes. Berkley has worked at Cafe Kubal for two months and said she’s still working on her latte art — right now, her designs are mainly polka dots. 

Berkley majored in baking and pastry arts at Johnson and Wales University. Coffee culture in Syracuse is more localized than other cities, she said, because there seems to be more interest in local brands instead of big names like Dunkin’ or Starbucks. 

“Customers are kind of funny sometimes, like they come in with their Dunkin’ Donuts order, (but) it’s a little different here — I can’t do any of that,” she said, with a laugh. 

For her, working at Cafe Kubal is one step closer to her dream job — owning her own cafe in Houston. Her dream café, she said, would be a place where she can make pastries and customers can relax with coffee and tea.  

Talia Trackim | Digital Design Director

After working at Chipotle for eight years, Shannon Zory wanted a change. He was looking to get involved with a local business that he could help influence and shape as it grew.  

Recess Coffee was the perfect fit for that, he said. Zory has worked at Recess for a year and currently manages the Westcott location. He came into the job with no previous bar experience, but has since learned how complex mastering a drink can be. 

“Something that amazes me with it is how much work goes into one drink,” he said. “The art is something that takes a long time to perfect.” One of his favorite drinks to make is a peppermint mocha, but he prefers to drink black coffee. 

For Zory, one of the best parts of the job is the people he works with. The cafe can get “crazy busy” at times, he said, but everyone stays high-spirited. 

Talia Trackim | Digital Design Director

Ivan Bakin’s first shift as a Recess Coffee barista was at the New York State Fair last summer. With minimal training beforehand, Bakin said he mostly learned on the job at the fair before being hired one month later.  

Some of the most important skills a barista can have, he said, are communication, timing and preparation — especially when the line stretches out the door for six hours on the weekends. 

When he’s not swamped with orders, Bakin said he enjoys experimenting with different flavors. Aside from espresso and milk combinations, his current favorite is an Earl Grey tea steamer with soy.  

“I’ve been coming to Recess as a customer since like 2010 when I was an undergrad,” he said, “so it’s been a long journey to be like, ‘I don’t know what a macchiato or a cortado is,’ to explaining it and making it for people.” 

 

Molly Gibbs | Photo Editor

Bakin recalled the first time a customer took a photo of their beverage after seeing the latte art he made. Since latte art isn’t the easiest thing to do, he said, it’s always a neat experience when a customer appreciates the design. 

When Bakin was a student at Syracuse University, he drank five to eight cups of coffee a day. Now, he’s down to two a day. 

“I like to experiment with flavors,” he said. “As long as it’s got a double shot of espresso, I’m good for my shift.” 

Talia Trackim | Digital Design Director

Morgan Statt’s interest in the coffee industry stems from going to coffee shops with her mom as a young girl. She’s always had a passion for coffee, but wanted to take the next step and learn the business side of things. 

Statt works at Peaks Coffee Company on the weekends, in addition to her full-time job at a marketing agency in Armory Square. Working on marketing for Peaks has allowed her to fulfill two of her interests — and gives her something to do on the weekends other than watching Netflix, she said. 

Molly Gibbs | Photo Editor

“It’s been a nice mix of balancing both worlds,” she said. “This is more of something fun I do on the side, but I’m able to blend two of my passions.” 

For Statt, getting to know the regular customers and meet more people in the industry has been one of the best parts of the job. Samuel Bender, co-owner of Peaks, agreed that creating a sense of community is one of the business’s main goals. 

“No matter what you’re going through, we’re here to support you and we’re here to serve you great coffee,” he said. 

Photos by Molly Gibbs | Photo Editor, Haley Robertson | Feature Editor

Published on February 28, 2019 at 12:02 am

Contact Haley: hrober03@syr.edu