Paying It Forward: A Trend At A Local Abilene Coffee Shop
By: Gina Benitez
Updated: December 15, 2011
Vonda sills didn't get her coffee for free, but that didn't keep her from paying for someone else's.
"It was almost as if you could look at her and think Starbucks was a treat for her and I'm like "i need to pay for her order!" and I just did!"
Anna Tribbett, an employee of Starbucks for three years, says at the very least during an 8 hour shift, that happens about six times.
"We've had up to like 8 people pay for beverages back to back to back. And they're so surprised and so thankful and so blessed that they're like, how much is the person's behind me? And they'll pay twice the amount they were going to pay for theirs."
She's noticed increases during the holidays, but she says this is something that's been happening for quite some time.
"My personal experience, and I've worked at 3 different Starbucks, this is the most prominent it's been."
Tribbett recalls her most memorable "pay it forward" moment when a person who had only ordered a latte paid for 75 dollars worth of gift cards for the person behind them.
Others have also had similar experiences.
"I mean it's a great feeling. I mean making somebody else's day and then mine being made. I wouldn't have ever known."
"It's really encouraged me to just go out of my way to bless somebody else."
