The simple transaction of ordering a latte at Starbucks or a Razmatazz at Jamba Juice can get a whole lot more complicated for folks with names like Chethan, Thuy or Jae-Hong, who just don't want to deal with the how-do-you-spell-that? line of questioning. Thus, the fake name:
Recently, I realized that I wasn't the only one who had tired of being asked how to spell a name that people find difficult to handle, at least in the super-busy moment of a Starbucks line.I like the part about people who make up fake names for fun, like Cool Guy, or Batman, or Spongebob. Why the hell not, I guess. From now on, I think my Starbucks name will be "Shyamalan."
So, like other people, I came up with a "coffee name." Something simple that a coffee jockey can scribble on a cup without thinking. And, after taking a survey of the local scene, it's clear that many others have come up with a similar solution.
At the Starbucks on Eighth Avenue, a grande iced caramel macchiato for "Sean" was really meant for "Chan," short for Chandani.
"I never, ever give out my name," Chan says. "And they still don't get it right, but, hey, it's what everyone calls me."
