Friendly faces abound in the service industry, but Robin Garcia may have the friendliest of them all. The Starbucks counter attendant at Fiesta Henderson Casino Hotel can make even the meanest of customers crack a smile when she makes their coffee, and she takes pride in that ability.

“Making somebody that comes in mean happy as they leave is challenging. It’s pretty hard, but I can do it. I’ve done it before.”

As part of Station Casinos’ family of resorts, Fiesta Henderson caters mainly to locals in the neighborhood, so Garcia has dozens of regular customers. One of her favorites is also the most difficult, but she enjoys sending him away with a great cup of coffee and a smile.

“I have this grouchy guy that comes in all the time, but he leaves so nice,” Garcia said, smiling. “He’s so grouchy all the time, but I get him laughing.”

Garcia has worked in Las Vegas’ service industry for more than 20 years, so her experiences with customers run the gamut from good to bad.

Her experiences with management have also covered the spectrum, which is why she loves her job with Station Casinos. Garcia said time spent working for properties that were unionized led her to prefer Fiesta Henderson (a casino that is not unionized).

“I always used to work union, but they’re always against you, even the management,” Garcia said. “I love that I can talk to people when I have a problem or go to somebody. It’s open door. It’s great.”

It’s also been awhile since Garcia worked at another property—she’s been with Fiesta Henderson for nine years.

“It’s fantastic,” she said. “I love it. I think I’m going to die here. I really do, I love it.”

Searching for a change of pace, she decided on Station Casinos almost nine years ago because a chef she worked with at another casino decided to move to Fiesta Henderson, and brought Garcia with him.

“My chef introduced me to this property,” she said. “He got me in the door here; he said it was better.”

After working at the property’s Baja Café for almost seven years, she opened the casino’s first Starbucks location and has been there ever since.

The New York native moved to Las Vegas when she was 11, and like many locals, decided to go to work in the casino industry to support herself and her loved ones.

“I’m a mother, so I wanted to provide for my family with the tips I earned,” Garcia said.

Aside from the tips, she said the best perk of her job is the people.

“I enjoy meeting new people from different countries,” she said. “We get them all here—grouchy, happy. All kinds. I have a great time at my job. All my coworkers are great; the people I work around are great. I love the guests. I know them all, pretty much.”

And to those guests, Garcia is more than just a friendly face—she is the reason they keep coming back.

By Caitlin McGarry