Coffee Shop

This event consists of four subpuzzles - three mini-puzzles and one “meta” puzzle. The three mini-puzzles are based on the contents of the sleeves of the coffee cups we were given upon entering the room, and each solves to one of the three secret menu items. Solvers need to order the secret menu item to proceed. Each sleeve has one of four different suits on it along with three puzzle components: ten boxes, some of which have numbers, a cryptarithm, and a square with letters in it. The puzzle components look incomplete, and the four different suits suggest that we must group up with three other teams - whose cups have the other three suits - in order to solve them.

Upon walking in, we are provided with a coffee cup with one of four sleeves:

After talking with other people and realizing that different teams received different sleeves, and observing that the provided puzzles seem incomplete, we join forces with three other teams to solve this puzzle, and work with the combined sleeves henceforth.

The menu board in the coffeeshop looks like this:

The minis correspond to secret menu drink items. Ordering each secret drink menu item yields a piece of paper with information that will be used to solve the meta.

Puzzle 1 - Boxes with Numbers

The coffeeshop has the following audio playing. We notice that there are 10 different songs in the coffee shop music and 10 boxes on each sleeve. Combining the numbers on all the sleeves gives the list of numbers in the “Indices from sleeves” column below. Each song that plays references another artist.

Indexing the provided numbers into the corresponding referenced artist gives the answer ARIANAGRANDEMACCHIATO, which we can order at the counter. Unfortunately, this menu item was ordered by another customer so we no longer have it! To avoid ordering the same order as someone in the future, we are given thethe following about the person who ordered it:

ARIANAGRANDEMACCHIATO

• Likes places entirely in one hemisphere
• At least as large as what they had
• Under a lot of pressure and don’t want more
• Not whole or almond milk

Puzzle 2 - Cryptarithms

Across the four suits, there are four partial cryptarithms: NUTMEG + MOUNT, TONGUE + MAGE, REGRET + FART, and FRAGRANT + ROGUE. There are also four drinks on the menu, whose names each match with one of the four cryptarithms. The price of each drink is the sum in the corresponding cryptarithm. The answers to the cryptarithms are:

This yields the mapping

One of the secret menu items is given as a string of numbers, - 651283099370483 -  so applying this mapping to that string of numbers gives the answer NUMEROAFFOGATRO, a pun on Avogadro’s Number and the affogato drink. Upon ordering this, we learn that it is unavailable as once again someone else has ordered this item, and we receive information about the person who rodered it.

NUMEROAFFOGATRO

• Wants to experience the birthplace of coffee
• Wants something that's a different temperature and related to their work
• Vertically challenged
• Allergic to nuts

Puzzle 3 - Rectangle with letters

This puzzle is based on the seven posters in the room and the story on the reading table. The provided rectangle is a representation of the room we are in. The story has seven blocks, each of which corresponds to one of the seven posters. For example, the first passage talks about dying after being unable to drink coffee on a hot day.

The beginning of the end started like any other day. I was checking out the new cafe in the neighborhood, one my friend had insisted never handed out lukewarm drinks. Certainly good to know of in the upcoming Boston winter, if true—my breath was already creating little puffs of moisture in front of my face. I placed my order and waited, watching the clouds pass by.

Suddenly, I felt hot. Those standing around me made small noises of alarm, and some poor fellow’s face looked drenched with sweat. Excuse me? The forecast had predicted a high in the 50s. But no, my smartphone claimed it was currently 97. Unbelievable. 98. But it was still crawling up. 99. How does weather even change that quickly? I watched in despair as it hit three digits and my order number flashed in red on the LED display board. With a wince, I confirmed that it was indeed piping hot.

Surely this will pass, I thought for about five minutes as the temperature climbed another 10 degrees. With a sigh, I tossed the full cup into the trash.

In retrospect, it was a sign—for in just a couple months, I would be dead.

This corresponds to the following poster, which is about a similar thing.

Similarly, the remaining passages match up, in order, to the following images.

Overlaying all four rectangles and drawing lines from the first referenced poster to the second, the second to the third, etc., yields the following..

Taking the letters we pass through spells out the answer CHAINSMOCHA, which is the secret menu item for this puzzle. As usual, this item has already been ordered but we receive the following information about the orderer:

CHAINSMOCHA

• Avoid coffee from countries sharing consonants with their last order
• In a very breezy mood, in more ways than one
• No milk

“Meta”puzzle

The answer to the final puzzle will be a custom drink. The clue “by coupon only”, along with the “Collect all three to order a custom drink” written on each coupon, suggests that this will use the information on the coupons. The information on the coupons obtained from the three mini-puzzles specifies a method, origin, size, and type of milk. Labeling the three puzzles yellow, red, and green, in order, they solve to the following.

Ordering what remains gives us the answer, and allows us to receive some hot chocolate, prepared by the MIT Chocolate Society!