Drink Order Leads To Sweet Story For Mom-To-Be, Aberdeen Cafe Owner

ABERDEEN, MD — The Screaming Bean Cafe happens to be a favorite stop for many customers while on their way to work, to jumpstart a day of shopping, kick off a road trip or just because. But one customer's trip to the coffee shop caught owner Martin Grams off guard and left him with a heartwarming story to tell.

Grams is a hands-on owner and loves interacting with his customers. He was working as cashier in the drive-thru when a regular customer and her husband came through the line.

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"Over the headset, I did not think anything unusual like any other customer ordering through drive-thru," Grams told Patch. "When the car came to the drive-thru, she made a noise that caught my attention. I asked the driver (her husband) if she was okay and he said, 'Yeah, she's fine. She's going into labor. She has to have her favorite drink before we get to the hospital.'"

At first, Grams was caught completely off guard. He told Patch the mom-to-be didn't seem to be in pain and in fact laughed when she told him through the drive-thru window, "The doctor said I should stay hydrated on the way to the hospital."

"The moment certainly caught me by surprise, but Meg was not joking—she was going into labor. Her drink had already been made, so the barista passed it through the drive-thru window. Meg shouted, 'Thank you!' as the car drove away. When I explained what had happened, the barista was every bit as shocked as I was," Grams said.

In a show of support, Grams took to social media for The Screaming Bean and posted, "To the mama who came through our drive-thru while in labor and en route to the hospital because she needed a Mango Matcha, you win customer of the day."

The customer, Meg Jacobson, told Patch she was craving the Mango Matcha that day, so much so that she told her husband to swing by the shop so she could grab her favorite drink on the way to the hospital while experiencing a few contractions.

"I got addicted to it. They use freshly squeezed mango, not syrup," Jacobson said. "The Screaming Bean has the best espresso and is far better than other places."

The mom-to-be told Patch that her contractions were mild and irregular, 20 minutes apart. She had plenty of time to grab her drink and calmly make her way to the hospital with plenty of time to spare. In fact, her labor ended up lasting 12 hours, she said. The baby was born the following day at 3 a.m. weighing 7 pounds, 7 ounces.

"Both of us are happy and doing well. But I have lost a lot of sleep since he was born. Mother never told me about that part," Jacobson jokingly said.

Jacobson stopped by the cafe a week after she was there last. Grams saw her and immediately had to ask how she was doing, he said. She shared that she had delivered a baby boy named Michael.

"I did not ask anything further because I never want customers to feel that I am prying into their personal lives, but I told her she must be a very proud mother, and she happily agreed. She was also back to order her favorite drink again," Grams told Patch.

The Screaming Bean regularly holds fundraisers to benefit community members, whether it's to purchase medical equipment or cover medical expenses for their children. Grams and the team love getting to know their customers on a personal level, but this was a new one for them.

"We have been fortunate to witness many heartwarming stories through the coffee shop ... However, we have never had a story involving a customer stopping for her favorite drink while going into labor," Grams said.

Related:

The Screaming Bean Coffee Shop Serves Up Beverages, Food And Community Support