The bell rang, and a single girl came in the store talking away on her phone. She ignored David, and took a seat on the inside bench. David beamed a radiant smile, and said, “Welcome to Stella’s Coffee Shop! Thanks for stopping by. Here, let me help you.”

Then David knelt before the blonde girl, and lovingly removed the girl’s black flats, putting them in one of the cubby holes behind her own podium. The girl ignored David for the most part, smirking as she enjoyed the treatment.

It was one of Stella’s rules that guests were not to wear shoes in the cafe—only the staff would do so. She said this was inspired by Japanese tea houses, and that it would make customers stay longer and spend more money. So far, that hadn’t been the case. It mostly just made it more natural for the customers to get luxurious foot massages while they were enjoying their beverages. Stella demanded they ask for nothing in return: it was simply a way to ensure customer loyalty.