Fort Dodge Barista Gets Surprise At Work From Loyal Customers

Thursday night a Fort Dodge barista got the surprise of his life when he was escorted to the parking lot at his work and found that his customers had joined together to buy him a car.

Coffee and conversation go hand in hand and when you have a personality like Taylor Bratland that conversation comes easy.

That’s what Linette Nelson found as she and her husband stopped for a drink at the Fort Dodge Starbucks in Target recently.

She posted on Facebook about her great experience and through that post she found out two things… that he was beloved by many and that through the coldest days of winter, he has been walking to and from work because he was without a car.

Jodie Stoneburner Johnson and Nelson quickly started an effort to help get him a warm ride to work.. They formed a group chat on Facebook and found out Ashley Vaala had a car she was wanting to sell and the whole surprise plan fell into place.

Last night while he was at work friends and coworkers had Bratland head outside where a car was parked and he was told it was his.

He has been working at the Starbucks in Target for over 2 and a half years and he says his customers are like family to him.

Bratland says he was extremely surprised by how many people came together to make this happen and but he wasn’t surprised by how kind the community.

Video courtesy of Ariana Schultz