Small World: behind the counter

Yes, we've all stared querulously at the menu board of Small World Café, looking for something we haven't had a hundred times before. But have you ever wondered how things look from across the counter? Interested in getting a Small World staffer's view of the world, I sat down with a few of them to ask some pressing questions, such as what the beautiful people order. This is what I learned.

There was no consensus about which drink appeals to the most appealing, but one staffer claims that the hotter the client, the simpler the order: most just go with plain coffee. Which orders will rub your barista the wrong way? The cappuccinos take a beating here, especially the Soy Cap and the Cap Frappé. Special disdain was reserved for the "triple double, half and half, mixed milk, light whip, extra caramel mocha" crowd. One employee breaks the bad news that "all these modifiers make you seem like a jerk." But not all Cap orders are bad. Someone's favorite Small World moment was when Henry Winkler quizzed the counter, "Do you have any caps for this cap?"

As to their favorite kinds of customers, most of the people I spoke to gave a simple (and obvious) answer — the nice ones. Owner Jessica Durrie favors "the European professor" type, who orders espresso, bolts it down while standing in front of the counter and then vanishes out the door. A recurrent description of the least favorite customer was anybody with "a false sense of entitlement." One staffer was more interested in her customers' ordering prowess, singling out for scorn those "who are confused and indecisive and uncomfortable talking to us" (perhaps they just need a little caffeine to kick their brains out of neutral). Talking on your cell phone while ordering is also a faux pas. And yes, they do recognize us, or at least some of us. The morning regulars who crowd the door at 6:30 a.m. are known by their drinks — no ordering is necessary, just a little sleepy eye contact. Another group of near-and-dear regulars are affectionately named the "Crew crew": Princeton rowers renowned for ordering the C.O.D accompanied by nut rolls.

After attending the Cornell Hotel Management School, Durrie decided to find just the right spot to set up a coffee shop. She set out on a yearlong cross-country road trip, stopping at college towns along the way. She finally settled on Princeton, a bustling college town with a conspicuous absence of coffee shops in the early 1990s. Small World opened its doors in 1993, and then doubled its size in 2001.

Having worked so hard to found her perfect shop, Durrie is picky about who she hires. Many of her employees are students at local universities, and she's glad that "creative souls" tend to gravitate to the coffee business. Durrie favors candidates who know how to hold a pleasant conversation. Most important, however, may be the "Rocky" test for energy and agility. When she's taking prospective employees to the upstairs office for an interview, she sprints up the stairs, and if she's at the top and they're still down at the bottom, it's a sign of trouble. A number of her former employees have gone on to find European professors of their own to fill with espresso — one Small Worlder recently opened a café just outside Philly.

While Durrie takes pride in Small World's menu, particularly its use of organic and fresh food for the lunch menu, she's clear about the secret of Small World's success: "my café is only as good as my staff."