Costa Coffee

Costa Coffee has been part of the Ghaziabad scene for a while now. We open up early every morning, usually before the sun is even fully up. The smell of the roasted beans is the first thing you notice when you step inside, and it pretty much stays that way all day. It is a bit of a routine for us. I get here, turn on the lights, and start getting the espresso machine ready. It takes some time to warm up properly so the coffee tastes right. People come in from the offices nearby or sometimes it is just folks passing through on their way somewhere else. It gets really loud around noon when the lunch crowd shows up. There is a lot of clinking of ceramic cups and the sound of the steam wand hissing. We do not have much storage space in the back, so things can feel a bit cramped when we get a big shipment of milk or sugar. Sometimes the Wi-Fi acts up, and we have to go reset the router under the counter while people wait. It is just how it goes here. People sit for a long time with their laptops, and others just grab a quick cup and leave. We know a few of the regulars by name and what they like, which makes the day feel shorter. The windows get dusty from the road outside, so we are always wiping them down. It is just a place to get caffeine.