When Coi Garcia stepped onto the stage at the Starbucks Western Canada Regional Barista Championship in Calgary on July 21, she was already carrying years of coffee expertise. But as the sole Filipino competitor among the region’s best baristas, the pressure was unmistakably high.
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“I felt nervous at first because the pressure is so high, but then I just told myself, ‘Yeah, I can do this,'” said Garcia, who works at the south Lloydminster Starbucks off Highway 17.
Her confidence paid off with a third-place finish in the competitive regional showdown.
The journey to Calgary began inside her home store. Each Starbucks location was asked to select a representative for the district competition, and Garcia’s store manager immediately had her in mind.
“My manager chose me because she said that I can do latte art, so why not try it?” Garcia said.
Although she initially hesitated, questioning if she was “too old” for the event, her manager pushed her to go for it.
At 38, Garcia is far from new to the coffee world. Before moving to Canada nearly two years ago, she spent five years working her way up the ranks at a Starbucks Reserve store in the Philippines — advancing from a seasonal barista to a coffee master and supervisor.
After moving to Canada, Garcia joined the Lloydminster location, where she has worked as a part-time barista for the past 12 months.
The regional competition put participants through rigorous tests, including the Coffeehouse Rush Challenge, where baristas crafted 10 handcrafted beverages against the clock while showcasing technical skill, coffee knowledge and customer connection.
While only the first-place champion advances to the North America Barista Championship Finals in Seattle, Garcia took home a deep sense of pride and a clear key takeaway from the experience.
“You have to stay connected with the customer,” Garcia said. “Even though it’s very busy, you have to make the customer feel like they are welcome, they are home. Waiting is not a hindrance at all if you genuinely talk with them.”
For Garcia, being a barista is less about the mechanics of making a drink and more about extending genuine hospitality — whether that means offering to bring an order directly to a family’s table or suggesting custom drink modifications.
“Every one of us has a different story, so might as well keep it going, keep pushing,” she said. “After a year here, I feel at home.”
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