Luxury Cafe Owner - Chapter 23 Nightcap

Tom took the lead and ordered a cappuccino for them both. He looked to Gerald. “Trust me, the cappuccino is the perfect nightcap.”

Gerald looked doubtful, but followed along anyways.

Alan nodded to show he heard the order and then went back into the kitchen.

As he did so he checked his mission.

Mission: Sell 100 cups of coffee.

Current Completion: 51/100

Looking at it he noticed a problem for the first time. “System, what’s the reward for selling 100 coffees?”

“Patience Host, you’ll find out when you complete the mission.”

“But in the past you always revealed the reward.” Alan said, confused.

“Host, that was when you were in the tutorial. Now, the reward system has changed. Please look forward to it Host!”

Alan felt some doubt, but pushed it aside and focused on making the cappuccinos.

After doing this for a while now, he had started to take some joy in the precision of brewing a good cup of coffee. There was a science to it, and it reminded him a little of doing experiments in chemistry class.

Then when it came time to decorate the cappuccino with the froth art, he was able to be creative. He debated what image he would create this time. He didn’t want to keep doing leaves. He had made them often enough that he felt comfortable with it. This time he wanted to do something original. After thinking about it, he came to a decision.

While Alan was working on the cappuccinos, Gerald had noticed the board above the bar. Aside from the prices, which were surprisingly high, he also was interested in the rules that were listed.

“I’ve never seen a cafe that imposed so many rules on its customers.” He noted with mild amusement to Tom.

Tom smiled. “There aren’t any cafes that serve coffee as good as this one. A few rules are nothing in comparison to the product he offers.”

Gerald didn’t say anything, silently thinking that it couldn’t be that impressive, and that the rules probably contributed to why the cafe was so empty.

Back in the kitchen, Alan was finishing both cups of cappuccino. He took them back into the cafe area and set them on the counter. “Here are your cappuccinos.” Alan said. “Enjoy!”

Tom reached for it in anticipation but paused when he saw the art. To his surprise, as opposed to the usual leaf, he saw a series of shapes. Looking closer he saw it was the City A skyline. The buildings even had small windows.

He stared, dumbfounded by this display of creativity and control.

Gerald, new to the cafe, was similarly impressed. He suddenly began to reevaluate this man that stood before him. To achieve such a level was not easy. He had never seen anyone capable of doing it. It reminded him of the famous chefs who took plating to the next level so that food became an artform. This was the first time he’d ever thought of coffee as art.

A voice cut through Gerald and Tom’s thoughts. “Please drink while it’s hot.” Alan reminded them.

The two recovered from their shock, but felt some regret about sipping it as it would ruin the art. Tom directly sipped it, but Gerald took out his phone and took a picture of the cappuccino first, before also taking a sip.

The taste struck him right away. Unlike Tom, Gerald already took his coffee seriously. That being said, he’d never tasted this particular blend before. All he knew was it must be expensive, maybe even unique to this cafe. He continued sipping on it, luxuriating in the warmth and flavor. As it entered his stomach his whole body grew warm.

Tom had a look of satisfaction on his face too.

Watching their reactions, Alan smiled proudly before walking away. Normally he’d sit and talk with Tom, but he could tell that this was some sort of business meeting. Thus, he decided to give them space.

However, as he walked away, Gerald cleared his throat and said, “Wait, excuse me, I’m sorry what was your name?”

Alan turned back. “My name is Alan.”

Gerald asked. “Is it possible that I could purchase your coffee blend? I really like it.”

Alan shook his head. “Sorry, I don’t sell a coffee blend. All of our beans are freshly ground. If you want to order from the company that grew the beans, you should reach out to Prosperidad, a coffee farm in Colombia.”

Gerald was slightly surprised, but still nodded. “Okay, I’ll do that, thank you.”

Tom shook his head, grinning. “Even if you get the coffee it won’t taste like this. Alan is a master. No one makes coffee like him.”

Gerald was somewhat skeptical. Obviously Alan was talented, the cappuccino froth art showed that much, but the flavor of coffee lay in the bean at the end of the day. So long as he could get those coffee beans, he’d be able to have his chefs reproduce the flavor.

Alan wasn’t aware of what Gerald was thinking, but he wouldn’t care even if he did. He knew that the secret to the coffee he made lay in the brewing process more than anything else. Even when he used the pre-ground coffee at the old cafe, he’d still made an unparalleled cup of coffee.

Even if Gerald’s chefs were good, they couldn’t compare to the system. They might make a good cup of coffee, but it wouldn’t be able to match up to Alan’s coffee.

Alan wiped down the counter while Gerald and Tom talked over their cappuccinos. Their business was already done, so now they talked just about market trends, real estate prices, and taxes.

Alan found the conversation to be very dull, so he didn’t have to feign disinterest.

Eventually, they finished their coffee. Tom cheerfully said goodbye to Alan. Gerald just gave a slight wave. They left and went their separate ways as well.

Alan checked the clock and saw it was closing time. He had a new customer today in Gerald, and Gerald seemed wealthy enough to become a regular, so Alan was hopeful that he’d grown his regular business a little.

Little did he know that things were about to change for him very quickly.