Atlanta coffee shop Larakin keeps it simple with no syrups and no tipping

A Midtown coffee shop that skips fancy syrups and tipping is the latest stop on CBS News Atlanta's Morning Menu.

Larakin is a patio coffee shop near the entrance to Piedmont Park.

"The cappuccino here is so good that I now always have a cappuccino first thing in the morning," said Caroline Fredericks, who lives nearby.

Since Larakin opened in 2022, it has become part of Fredericks' routine.

"There are regulars who come every morning, there are people who come every time they're visiting Atlanta, and the quality of the product speaks for itself," Fredericks said. "It's some of the best coffee in town."

The staff is so confident in that quality that it keeps the menu simple.

"We believe that if you use nice ingredients, you don't need a whole lot of things to make the coffee taste good," Larakin employee Erik Thurmond said. "We have really nice Intelligentsia coffee, as well as some tea, yummy breakfast sandwiches and some pastries from Alon's Bakery."

Larakin also keeps the bill simple by not accepting tips.

"We roll the price of what you would be tipping into what you are buying, and that way, when you're checking out, you don't have to add a tip, and we are paid a good hourly rate," Thurmond said.

"Hospitality included is an incredible part of being here," Fredericks said. "I have a bad habit of overtipping when I get coffee somewhere else, and so I feel very lucky that every single time I get a coffee, everything is included."

The policy means employees such as Thurmond do not have to guess how much they will earn each week.

"It's such a relief to get to the end of the week and know what your paycheck is going to be, rather than if it's a slow night or rough weather, it affects your pay," Thurmond said.

Larakin offers more than coffee. At night, the shop becomes a wine bar serving tinned fish, and it also hosts special omakase nights.