My Sweetopia

When I got back from racing in November last year, I went on the usual Friday morning coffee shop ride and went to My Sweetopia for the first time, a coffee shop in Southbank that had some new management.

My Sweetopia had always been there in the past, but the management were never fans of cyclists. They chose to get annoyed at us and tell us to move our bikes away rather than embrace a market that tends to drink a heck of a lot of coffee. This had always baffled me, as the cafe next door to them was always filled to capacity with cyclists drinking coffee while they looked on with an up-tight expression, trying to work out who owned that blue Trek leaning against the pole so that they could tell them to move it.

Anyhoo... the new managemnet have welcomed cyclists and they have recriprcated the offer. When I ordered my coffee they did the usual and asked for my name with the order. When the coffees came out, everyone's name was written in the froth with a syrup of some sort. I thought it was pretty cool then went on with my day.

A couple of days later, I caught a flight to China for the last couple of races. Three weeks later and I came home for 2 days before catching another flight to the Philippines to visit family. Another three weeks later, I finally came home after 6 weeks of travelling.

In that time, I had pretty much forgotten everything I had been doing at home and pretty much forgotten my own name. I returned to My Sweetopia after the next Friday coffee shop ride and ordered my coffee as per usual. This time they did not ask for my name and I didn't think anything of it. But when the coffee came out, 6 weeks and I assume a hell of a lot of customers since asking for my name, they had written 'Chris' across the top of it. I was impressed.

Recently, I had the chance to test their memory. It had been a while since Ben had a coffee at My Sweetopia but is was definitely more than once. We ordered our coffees and they didn't ask for names which was not surprising. When our coffees came out, 'Chris' was written across the top of mine but Ben was not so lucky. Perhaps he doesn't have a memorable face, but this is what came out...