This is such an interesting question. We considered switching to "no cash" during the height of the pandemic, but a decent number of our customers pay with cash, so we decided not to. And honestly, it's nice to have some sales that don't incur the processing fees.
There was actually another local coffee shop that opened during the pandemic and didn't accept cash. There was a large community backlash because the neighborhood felt that it unfairly excluded people who didn't have access to bank accounts/credit cards. That wasn't something we had originally considered, but our community is very socioeconomically diverse -- many people have cash-only jobs -- so for us, it feels more inclusive to accept all forms of payment. Just one more factor to consider.
For what it's worth, we've never had an issue with theft in 5 years of being open. There are definitely cash handling mistakes within the team, but even those or rare. In that time, I think we've had a fake bill only once. We close our drawers each night and keep all surplus cash and pending cash deposits in a safe (only 3 of us know the code).
Awww, yes! I love this so much! I got a little choked up about the idea of being a special part of their memories -- what a beautiful honor.
One of my favorite things is seeing the kids who were newborns when we first opened five years ago, now coming in and ordering a donut at the counter. There are so many of them whose first outing was to our cafe (sometimes their parents brought them straight from the hospital!) and it's such a joy to be watching them grow up.
You're absolutely right -- there are so many things to love that have nothing to do with the actual work. (Which is so helpful to remember in the moments when the "job" part is extra challenging.)
