Coffee + Holidazzle = chicken w/ head cut off

Is it possible to sell $1000 of coffee drinks in 3 hours, you may ask? Tonight I have your answer and that is a definite YES. We sold that much coffee, hot chocolate, and cookies all before, during and after the Holidazzle parade. Good grief! That is insane! (If you don't know what the Holidazzle is, google it. Right now I have a love/hate relationship with it and don't want to describe it.) I am amazed that people will 1) wait that long to order 2) wait a little bit longer to pay and 3) wait even longer to get the drink and it's all for a SMALL HOT CHOCOLATE!!!
I have small hot chocolates at home and they are free. I understand, as a customer, it's all part of the Holidazzle experience, but my goodness.

We as Barnes and Noble cafe workers have it down to a science. Everyone has their job and things move pretty smoothly, it just never stops. Seriously. It was 3 hours of non-stop ordering of hot chocolates and ciders and coffees. I have lost my voice because I had to holler over the sound of the steamer. And I think I'm getting sick but I'm trying to kick that with lots and lots of water.

I kind of wish I had a great crazy customer story to go with this. But mostly it was just a constant line that slowly moved. It was a bit like herding cattle. Order with me, pay him, pick your drink up down there. "Could everyone who has ordered move down a bit so we can keep the line going? Thanks." was a common thing that was shouted out tonight.

A bottle was broken and we ran out of cider and chocolate chip cookies but mostly it was a smooth, but be it an insanely busy night. I am now having a beer, I feel like it is close to midnight and it's only 9:30.

And I have two more weekends of this. Lucky me. Lucky us. I do have to say that everyone I have working in the cafe is fantastic. They all pull together when needed, they all love to laugh, and mostly they all are good at their job. I think the cafe should get to close for a week after the Holidazzle parade is done for the year. To give us hard workers a day off. Alas, we still have to serve small coffees on a daily basis to the business people in the mornings. Sigh and smile.