A Starbucks Barista Finally Lost It

Being a barista is not an easy job. The insanely early hours, the caffeine-deprived customers, and the monotony of making latte after latte don't exactly make for a peaceful work environment, so it was only a matter of time before a Starbucks employee had a meltdown. That being said, I have to say that I didn't expect it to be over a cookie straw, of all things. Being forced to remake a s'mores frappuccino three times in a row is one thing, but... a cookie straw?

The cranky barista in question, known as Melissa, is a manager at a Starbucks in Queens, the Independent reports. While customer Ruby Chen fumbled with her Starbucks app, she didn't hear another barista ask her name for the frappuccino she had just ordered. Although we are all familiar with the struggle of getting the Starbucks app to work, the manager decided she didn't have time for anyone's technological difficulties that morning. She began berating Chen almost immediately, accusing her of stealing a cookie straw and refusing to accept payment for it when Chen offered. "Give me the straw and leave, or take the straw and you won't be allowed back in here," Melissa shouted. The manager then went on to declare that Chen would not be served there, and cut off any of the customer's attempts to speak afterward. Eventually, Melissa threatened to call the police and Chen stepped out of line, while the manager went back to taking orders.

Even other customers were clearly baffled; some can be heard in the background saying that the manager needs to be fired. Chen later posted a video of the encounter on Facebook with a caption explaining the encounter, and it quickly went viral. Between the very public video and all the customers calling in to complain about the manager, it's no surprise that Starbucks released a statement about the subject on its Facebook page. According to the Business Insider, the company wrote that "this experience does not represent the high service standards we set for ourselves," and that the manager "no longer works for us."

The employee, however, claims that she was suspended and chose to quit, Raw Story reports. Either way, let's hope that Melissa's new job serves decaf coffee.

Check out the footage of her meltdown below:

Image: Giphy