The Secret Lair

I was a barista once. Before Starbucks invaded Cleveland, before you could find a coffeeshop on every corner, I ran a coffeeshop inside a local bookstore. It was never boring; we always had a steady stream of interesting customers. I worked with a tight-knit team of fellow bookstore gypsies; it was a good time. Fond memories of that time might be one of the reasons I enjoy The Baristas so much.

The Baristas is a web series from the creator of the popular Something To Be Desired, Justin Kownacki. A little history: STBD has been online since 2003, long before YouTube or podcasts debuted. It is a complex story which grew and changed during the shooting so that, according to their own show notes, anyone wanting to catch up on the series should start in Season Four, and not in Season One. The show was put on hiatus when Knownacki moved from Pittburgh (where the show was set) to Baltimore. Demand for the show was high, however, and the team put up a Kickstarter project in order to raise funds to finance a new series. Money was raised, casting completed, and the new series released their first episode on January 31, 2011.


There are a number of things I like about this show.

• It is filmed inside a real-life café, the Affogato in Pittsburgh. No need for a contrived set and that lends an air of reality and, at times, claustrophobia as the numerous cast members cluster around the small counter.

• The writing is quite good. There are a few clinkers once in a while, but I have laughed out loud several times in the first two episodes, which more than I can say for my reaction to most sitcoms coming out of Hollywood these days.

• The characters are both likable and infuriating at the same time, and that makes them believable.

• The writers and the cast nail the stereotypes with ease. In the first episode there is a particularly difficult customer which reminded me of people I’ve served or been in line behind in the past. The was the customer is dealt with made me smile. Would it happen in reality? No…but watching it happen on the screen will make anyone who has ever worked in the service industry to grin uncontrollably.

In short…it’s fun to watch, and in-between episodes the staff twitter feed keeps me chuckling all week long. I love the idea of using Twitter to bridge the time between releases, and it keeps me engaged in the world of the show.

The Baristas is released weekly on Mondays at 10am. Tune in and start your week with a laugh.

The Baristas Promo

The Baristas, Episode 1: The Favor

What is Something To Be Desired?

Tags: justin knownacki, reviews, stbd, the baristas, webseries

This entry was posted on Monday, February 14th, 2011 at 8:05 am and is filed under Television. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.