Jitters gourmet coffee has been around since 1972.
The founders of the caf originated from Nevada, where the first Jitters was born. People in Las Vegas have been enjoying Jitters coffee for years. The franchise in Tempe wasn’t built until the 80’s. But the history that is really interesting is the social history of the Jitters at Arizona State University located on University and College Street. Many people waltz in and out of Jitters everyday, you may even be one of these people who on route to class make a quick stop into the sandy brick building. But as you exit the building did you notice the small crack at the base of the wall.
Where an upset employee threw a tray of mugs? Most likely not, This is one of the many stories that have been shared with me by employees of Jitters, regular customers of Jitters, and people who have never stepped foot into the caf at all. With a restaurant that has been around as long as Jitters has you are bound to have some good tales to tell. One begins with an innocent looking collegiate sophomore strolling into the caf. As he strutted into the caf with ill intentions he assessed the local talent residing within the edifice. He couldn’t help but want to sit next to the only dark haired woman sipping on a java in the corner. The attack was on, recognizing the book she was reading he approached her with a nonchalant question.
“Are you studying for the math test this week?” He knew she was, and her answer as expected was, “yes”. It was all down hill from here. Playing the innocent schoolboy, he skillfully manipulated past her hesitant demeanor, and convinced her into studying with him that night at the cafe. He met her at Jitters as planned and the night turned into a great study session. Which he planned, as he did not want to seem overly aggressive or desperate. As the night winded down so did her guard, he asked her if she would like something to drink.
She was very receptive to his proposal. He chose a nice expresso with a shot of amarettto. He could tell that after studying with her for the whole night she was trusting to his open conversation with her. He asked her about her current dating status, which was single, the attack now sped towards a closing. Acting as if he was concerned with her safety, he asked her if she wanted him to walk her back to her dorm. At first she said, “no,” playing hard to get, but he rolled with it.
And told her he had to walk that way anyway. At least his foot was still in the door. His last chance resided in the goodbye at the dorm room door. As they neared the dorm he constantly reminded her of how smart she was and how she didn’t have to worry about this math test being as intelligent as she was. When they reached her dorm and she whispered in his ear “Would you like to come up and watch a movie?” Steve celebrated silently and replied “if that’s alright with you” of course it was and so he did and to this day Steve and Jessica are still together, and frequent Jitters caf as often as possible.
For this happy couple Jitters is a great place to mingle and meet people. But then there is the other side of the spectrum. Where Jitters serves as a job. One employee, Chrissy, has a completely different perspective. She sees another side of Jitters. She has been in the caf daily for the past 2 years now, and has seen a lot occur.
Chrissy’s feet sway around the caf with the greatest of ease, which seems ironic when you follow her long skinny legs up to her head where her short spiky hair gives you an evil look. Nonetheless, she refills your glass of coffee with a smile and returns behind the counter to “the lookout”, as she likes to call it. “I’ve seen some weird things happen here man let me tell you” exclaims Chrissy. “One night we .
