Serving a Friendly Cup of Coffee and a Smile

Reporter: Faris El Sebai

Photographer: Malek Nader

Ahmad Emad has a keen eye for his customers; some are in a hurry and don’t have time to wait in the queue or others are just looking for a helping hand.

After a few years as a barista at L’aroma at the New Cairo campus, he says he’s seen it all. 

“Whenever I see a repeat customer asking for the same order, automatically I get used to his order, so next time I can prepare it easily and quickly,” said Emad, who prefers to go by the nickname Richa.

But he recalls a funny exchange with a student who claimed he knew everything there was to the fine art of drinking coffee.

“Once a student ordered an American coffee and when I asked him about the size he wanted, he kept explaining the size depends on the origin of the coffee and how condensed it is,” Richa said.

It was ironic that the student was giving me tips about coffee, he added.

Richa has been working at L’aroma since Spring 2017; he started off as a staff member and quickly rose through the ranks to become shift officer. Along the way, he also managed to graduate from the School of Business at Ain Shams University in 2019.

“I have been working in this field of catering for 15 years since I was 12 and I can say that this is the place that I felt that I am most comfortable with,” Richa says.

He believes that L’aroma’s pergola is not just a place to grab a cup of coffee and run off to class; rather, it is a place where the community can socialize and make friends. And Richa tends to set a comforting tone for the customers.

“The first time I met Richa, I was in a hurry and I wanted to smoke a cigarette before the class and I didn’t have a lighter. Richa gave me his lighter and told me that I can bring it back when I get back,” Mechanical Engineering senior Ahmed Radwan told The Caravan. 

The young barista says that maintaining a good personal relationship with students is key to enjoying the work he does. Students agree.

“One day I was in a hurry and without asking for my order, Richa just said ‘you want a latte frappe with skimmed milk … okay it is almost ready’,” Salma El Hadidy, a Communication Media Arts (CMA) sophomore, said.

Over time, his relaxed demeanor contributed to building friendships with some of the students. “I have been working here for more than four years, and by now I have friends among the students, some of whom are,” Richa said.

“Once I was moving around in the campus, and I found Richa calling me to introduce me to his fiance,” El Hadidy told The Caravan. 

Richa says that while the friendships enrich his life, he is careful not to impose himself. 

“What really matters is the passion about what you do. I could have worked in a bank, however, working as a barista helps me to know and get in contact with all these students from different backgrounds and this really enriched my character,” he said. 

His colleagues are also taken by his personality which they say always shines with compassion and warmth even at the most difficult times.

“At work Richa, is energetic and has a great soul among his colleagues and in the way he deals with the students, and never he had a problem with anyone,” Ahmed El Khouly, a fellow barista, told The Caravan. 

But Richa may not be at AUC for long as he looks to start his own business.

“After working for more than 12 years in this field, my dream is to open my own coffee shop in one of the distinguished areas in Nasr City or Heliopolis,” Richa said.

So what does a barista recommend the next time you’re in the mood for a quick pick-me-up?

“The caramel frappe and cappuccino caramel are the most popular drinks among AUCians, and the most in demand.”