MILLENNIUM PARK - MILLENNIUM PARK BARISTA OF THE MONTH

Rene Hunter is the Millennium Park Barista of the Month for March/April 2007.  Rene has been working for Intelligentsia for about 7 months, but entered the coffee world about 4 years ago.  She is the Assistant Manager at the Millennium Park Café.

Rene’s love of coffee began in high school.  “I loved skipping class to go hang out at the independent coffee houses, drinking bottomless cups, chain smoking, writing bad poetry, and thinking I knew more than everybody.”  Having grown up in Chicago, Rene has always known that Intelligentsia was the place to come if you wanted to gain some serious knowledge about coffee.  

Rene’s favorite drink to enjoy right now is black coffee.  “We have the Clover machine here so I can get any coffee I want very fresh without the whole French press procedurals.  Being a chocoholic and trying to work it into every meal, has led me to the Peru Cruz del Sur, which is my ‘it’ coffee right now.”  She’s also into the Mocha Java because, “I like that the New Guinea tones down the uber-fruitiness of the Idido,  but still leaves it all like ‘whoa’.  What a crazy great coffee.”  As far as her favorite drinks to make for customers, Rene likes the traditional, small espresso drinks.  “I love making traditional caps, cortados, macchiatos, any of the small guys.  They are just too cute.”  

Rene’s favorite thing to do in her spare time is read.  “I sometimes think it would be best to get arrested (on something white collar of course) so I would have more free time to devote to it.”  Rene is also quite crafty.  “I like knitting even though I’m not that good.  Hand making cards, they are way better than anything you can buy, and I like to think I’m spreading cheer one stamp at a time.”  She is also not afraid to admit that in her free time, she enjoys those really terrible (but wonderful) reality TV shows.  “Think ANTM and searching for the next pussy cat doll or whatever it’s called.”

Looking back at her past coffee life, Rene says, “I just can’t believe what terrible coffee I was making before I started working here.  I am so proud to be a part of a team that puts the utmost emphasis on the quality of the product we are putting out.”

Beautiful Latte

A customer favorite.