Baristas on University Commons lots: There are many zone directors for the various different types of events that can be held on these lots.So if you run into problems on this lot type, let me know where it was, what you were doing, etc.

But since then I’ve been testing on a different lot of the same type and had it work perfectly… not sure if it’s something that was broken and that I fixed without realizing or if it’s only some combination of world/lot/splines reticulating/etc.

Sims would pile up in front of the espresso bar, order, and then their plates would never spawn due to the way restaurant lots handle food spawns, so they’d just keep ordering from the barista ad infinitum (and never actually eat at the restaurant).

Baristas on Restaurant lots: I’ve had some attempts where adding a barista to a lot completely borks sim autonomy, and breaks the functionality of the lot.

In the future, I’d like to fix this, but it would require someone making a utility script for injecting object_based_situation_shifts into Zone Directors… I know someone who has done it in the past, but need to chat with them and see if I can get permission to re-use parts of their script. One thing to note is that only one Barista NPC will spawn per lot.

Retail (unowned by active household ONLY).

Arts Center (will work if there is also a bar on the lot).

This mod injects the Barista NPC situation directly into the zone directors for various lots, so you just place the espresso bar object on nearly any (non-residential/rental) lot type and a barista will automatically spawn. I tried LittleMsSam’s Auto Employees, and it’s very well made, but I didn’t like that it took up a lot trait slot. There are some pre-existing solutions for this, but they weren’t personally to my liking. Why can I place an espresso bar down on a beach lot, only to have to pay to get someone to tend it and then pay AGAIN to buy something? Unless my sim owns the business, I see no reason why this should be necessary.

Sims 4 more lot trait slots mod