Ty Jones has spent 10 years working in the UTC campus Starbucks. Photo by Angela Foster.
Since 2016, Ty Jones has worked at the Starbucks on the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga campus, remembering coffee orders and greeting customers by name.
In addition to making coffee before classes and helping keep the store running, Jones spends time chatting with students, faculty and staff.
Jones—a mother of four—sees her job as a way to befriend and uplift the campus community, especially during their most stressful moments. To her, the UTC Starbucks is one big family where everyone is welcome—and caffeinated, of course.
Tell me about your background and how you ended up at UTC.
“I was born and raised in Chattanooga, and I was actually looking for a job in catering because I love to cook. That’s what I applied for. But the manager came to me and said, ‘Hey, I need somebody to come work at Starbucks.’
“I had never worked inside a Starbucks before. I made coffee at home, but that was about it. Now it’s been 10 years and some months, and I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.
“I’ve learned that when you take pride in what you do, it shows. I love when people come in and say, ‘Miss Ty, you make the best coffee,’ or, ‘I just came to see you today.’ To me, that all goes together. It shows you’ve got a passion and you’ve got a heart.
“I teach my kids that you’ve got to respect every job because a job you won’t do, somebody else will. Every job deserves respect.”
What does a typical day look like for you as assistant manager?
“I try to check whatever problems I’ve got going on at home at the door because I take my job very seriously. I want every customer and every UTC family member that comes through those doors to leave saying they had a great experience.
“When I ask somebody how their day is going, I really mean it. If they’re having a bad day, I want them to know it’s OK to tell me. I’ll give them that big-auntie, big-cousin hug if they need it.
“That’s actually how I got the name ‘Miss Ty.’ The students started calling me that because they said I was like their auntie or their big cousin. Ever since then, everywhere I go, it’s ‘Miss Ty.’ I’ll be somewhere in Chattanooga and hear somebody yell it, and I know that’s one of my UTC family members.”
You’ve become a familiar face for so many students. What do you enjoy most about working on a college campus?
“I love that people can just come in and be themselves. I’ve never really felt like people are putting on an act. Whether they’re having a good day or a bad day, they’re just themselves, and I try my best to meet them where they are.
“If somebody walks in with a frown, I want them leaving with a smile. No matter what.”
Starbucks can be one of the busiest places on campus. What has that experience been like?
“At one point, we’d open at 7 in the morning and there would already be 20 or 30 people waiting outside. The line would stretch all the way toward the library.
“When I first started, I cried for weeks because I just didn’t understand it all. The coffee, the espresso, the lattes … it was a lot.
“But I had students encouraging me, and I had a great support team. My dad always told me, ‘You’re fit for that job. Don’t quit. You’re going to get it.’ I really believe that’s what helped make me the manager I am today.”
What role do you think Starbucks plays in campus life?
“I feel like we’re a family-oriented Starbucks. We’re on a college campus, so people come from all kinds of backgrounds and all kinds of families. No matter who you are, I want you to come in and feel welcome.
“My goal is always to make sure my people are happy when they come in and when they leave. I want them to say, ‘I’m going to UTC Starbucks. I know Miss Ty is there.’
“We’ve got good coffee, we play good music, we laugh, and if we’ve got to cry, we’ll cry too. I just love it.”
What’s your favorite drink to make or recommend?
“I’m an iced coffee person. There can be a blizzard and I’ll still be outside shivering with an iced coffee in my hand.
“My favorite is a brown sugar shaken espresso with three blonde shots, caramel drizzle and cold foam. Around here they call it the ‘Ty Special.’ If somebody comes in and orders that, they usually want me to make it.”
Ty Jones works behind the Starbucks counter with Elliot Jenkins.
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