Beyond their inviting aesthetics and enticing seasonal menus, coffee shops offer their clientele a chance to connect with the world around them. Whether it’s connecting their customers to area roasters or to fellow locals waiting in line for that TikTok-worthy matcha, coffee shops are so much more than their brick and mortar. The baristas behind the bar are especially important to the operation. In many ways, they’re not just coffee connoisseurs, but cultural ones, as well. It’s safe to say that the individual calling out those drink orders could be a potential expert on the local scene and all that it has to offer. Here’s what a handful of baristas at four Sarasota shops had to say about their days off during the fall months. —E.Olson

PALMA COFFEE  Amanda from Palma Coffee in
Sarasota on how she spent a recent weekend. 

“I recently went flower picking with my mom in
Myakka at a regenerative flower farm. We harvested flowers and then we made our own bouquets! That’s the ideal weekend for me: spending time out in nature with my mama.” Suggestion  Order the Iced Shaker. It’s a simple, refreshing beverage consisting of two shots, simple syrup and milk. It’s all shaken and strained into a chilled 10oz glass. 

BERGEYS  Jason from Bergeys in Venice on driving up to St. Pete and his go-to coffee order.

“If I have a weekend off, I’ll spend it catching up on some house projects and then I’ll go to a coffee shop with my wife. We like to drive up to St. Pete for Bandits or Oxford Exchange—we really love the architecture at Oxford.”Suggestion  Bergeys recently released a lavender syrup in partnership with a local farm.
Order the syrup in an iced latte for a calming
afternoon with just a hint of floral notes. 

O&A  Olivia at O&A in Downtown Sarasota on mornings in the Great Outdoors and local coffee shops worth a visit.

“I’ll start things outside with a quick bike ride on the Legacy Trail or a bridge-walk on the Ringling. I’ll grab a coffee at Palma when I’m down south or Project Coffee when I’m in the Rosemary District. I also really like Oscura over in Bradenton because they host a lot of community events and market days.  Suggestion  O&A’s chai concentrate offers a pleasantly caffeinated kick.

FOXTAIL  Morgan at Foxtail in Wellen Park on her preferred beach. 

“Venice Beach is a good halfway point for my friends and me, so we usually meet up there on the weekends. Then we’ll go to Smoothie King or some place like that. I’m not a big fan of coffee, but I love a cold smoothie on a really hot day.” Suggestion  Nothing says tropical quite like a coconut mocha cold brew.