I circle the block a few times before finally giving up and resigning myself to a spot along a residential street about four blocks from the coffee shop. Try Hard Coffee on East 11th Street usually closes by 3 p.m., but tonight it is open and throbbing with energy. A DJ in the corner spins vinyl records. Bartenders on the back patio shake up Negronis and crack beers. I hear somewhere there are tacos, but I never find out where. Packing this tiny cafe from end to end are baristas, ready to compete in tonight's event: Thursday Night Throwdown.

Anyone who has worked in the service industry knows dealing with people can be … rough. Over summers, and when I go home for breaks, I work as a barista at a famed coffee shop in my hometown. Below...