Starbucks barista learns ASL to give deaf customer a better experience

LEESBURG, Va. – A deaf Starbucks customer in Virginia got a little something extra with his frappuccino last week – a note from the barista, telling him she was learning American Sign Language to help improve his coffee-going experience.

Ibby Piracha posted a picture on Facebook of a note the woman gave him.

“I’ve been learning ASL just so you can have the same experience as everyone else,” she wrote.



Piracha says he goes to that Starbucks about three times a week, and that when he went in on Friday, she asked “what do you want to drink” in sign language.

By Monday afternoon, the post had been shared nearly 3,000 times and had more than 10,000 likes.