Real People

WASILLA - For Billye Cranton, coming to work at the crack of dawn is a daily grind. But not in a bad sense.

Each and every weekday morning the last eight months, Cranton and her sidekick, Kelly Archer, make their way to Kaladi Brothers in Wasilla at the Carrs Mall, where they whip together latts, mochas and cappuccinos for caffeine-craving customers who have come to appreciate their top-notch drinkmanship.

I like the interaction with the customers the best, Cranton said. Its the best part of the job.

While they are grinding beans and steaming milk, Cranton and Archer only have a five-minute window of opportunity to get to know the customers, most of whom have been to Kaladi Brothers before. Its in those five minutes that friendships are formed.

You have to get to know them quickly, Cranton said. One guy, when he started coming in, he was always really quiet and never said anything. But the more he came in, we got him to start talking more and more. Now he comes in and jokes with us all the time.

Cranton recalls another, smaller friend she has made through her work, one who has brought her flowers.

I saw the same little girl come in with her mom, and then I saw her in a store one day and asked her if she ever was going to bring me flowers, Cranton said. The next time she came in with her mom, she actually brought me flowers.

Even though they see the same faces many times in a week, sometimes Cranton and Archer dont catch a customers name. But they always remember one thing, which is paramount in their profession.

You always remember their drink, Cranton said, as if she were a bartender in a trendy pub. The customer likes it if you remember their drink.

The range of customers they see, even in just one morning, is another thing that keeps Cranton and Archer on their toes during the early-morning hours their job demands.

We have people ranging from the mayor to bus drivers, Archer said. We also have a lot of school teachers come in.

Cranton said part of the fun is getting to share her morning with Archer.

She comes in wearing pajamas sometimes, Cranton said. We have a good time together.

For Cranton, working at Kaladi Brothers has been sort of an introduction to the Mat-Su Valley. She moved here a year-and-a-half ago, and she knew no one. But by making coffee and meeting people, she has a growing list of friends.

Ive met a lot of people I probably wouldnt have met otherwise, Cranton said. Its been worth it working here.Photo: Billye Cranton pours steamed milk into a coffee creation at the Wasilla Kaladi Brothers Wednesday.

Photo by CASEY RESSLER/Frontiersman.