by Molly Jensen

I think it began before they were born… My two daughters have always had a taste for coffee.  Mind you, they always order “de-caf,” but a mocha without the coffee flavor is just another hot chocolate to them.

At the ripe old ages of six and four, we were traveling through Vernal, Utah on our way to see Dinosaur National Park. At breakfast, the waitress approached our table and, as usual, asked if we wanted a beverage while we made our decision regarding our food choices.

As straight faces as could be, both girls blurted out “Decaf Mocha, 16 oz, with whip cream!” The waitress looked at them, then turned slowly around and left our table. She was gone for a few moments, then returned only to ask again for our beverage order. Of course the girls repeated their request: “Decaf Mocha, 16 oz, with whip cream.”

The waitress looked at me and asked, “Was that a hot chocolate?”
“No,” I explained, “they want a decaf Mocha with whip cream, but 12 oz would be just fine.”

She looked at me again and asked “Is that with coffee?” I assured her that this was a typical order for them and that we were from Seattle. “Well, I guess that explains everything,” she said. Unfortunately, we did not get the mochas, but she did direct us to the one and only latte stand in the town. She comped the girls hot chocolates with our breakfast, and off we went to see dinosaur bones!

==> Share your coffee story