When I do order a latte from my favorite local coffee shop, and don’t have a mug with me, I always slide the cup holder back across the counter. “Don’t need it,” I smile. But, sometimes —when that latte is particularly hot—I do. That’s when these crafty coffee cuffs come in...
Love that they're washable, that they're sewn by hand (they take an hour to make), and also, that they silently make a statement. Oh yeah, and the adorable ‘60’s inspired patterns.
Get ‘em at Thread and Needle and learn more about the creator (who once sewed a quilt on the NYC subway!). She also makes bags (see above) and pillows.
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
This up above is a good idea.
However, Telling a barista to "keep the coffee sleeve" they've already man-handled and tainted expecting them to kindly just use it for the next guy is not. That counter is dirty. People throw money on it; sit their loud children on it; fling their purses on it (and who knows where those have been sitting). It'll get pitched.
...or you could just say you don't need a sleeve before hand? Because you have a cool sleeve you made yourself, show 'em even...they'll get a kick out of it.
Or! You could remind them they could always go cork in a temporary http://www.greenhome.com/products/kitchen/coffee_accessories/116401 or permanant/reusable basis http://www.greenhome.com/products/kitchen/coffee_accessories/116403
Just saying.
view The Overworked's profile
Overworked, I see what you're saying, but everything is really pretty germ-laden. The next person's coffee sleeve is also going to get touched by the barista and set on the counter. Yes, clerks often toss something a customer refuses, but there's no cleanliness benefit regarding this -- they're just being lazy and not caring about the environment. I do agree that it's nice to refuse it beforehand, just to save them the work and the awkward interaction, if nothing else.
Along those lines, CVS drives me CRAZY with their bags. Even if you buy just a drink in a bottle, they put it in a bag without asking. If you tell them you don't need one, they often throw away the bag. At one point they had the clerks telling people that the Dept of Public Health requires purchases to be in a bag, which it does not (except for alcohol). I think some places just want you to carry around their logo.
Dunkin Donuts is the worst though. When you give them your mug or bottle for your drink, they often ignore it and put it in a disposable one, and I've even had them say "oh, no, let me get you a nice new cup with a the right kinda lid and everything." *headdesk* Oh, and their habit of serving the iced coffee in a plastic cup stuck into a polystyrene cup. Because one cup wasn't wasteful enough.
view eeka's profile
LOL! I sewed one of these for my husband last year when I went to a local sewing lab for a beginning sewing lesson. His is light blue with retro sunbursts on it and a quilted conch shell. He has actually uses it out in public when he gets hot coffee drinks in a pint glass.
view kmarie's profile