Ticket for Coffee Shop Frustration: Ordering Black Coffee

A patron leaves a New York branch of Starbucks, the world’s largest coffee chain.

Alex Wicker is used to odd looks from baristas when he stops by his local coffee shop. His order is unusual: black coffee.

“Asking for just ‘coffee’ with no added context, without going through a round of 20 questions with the server, has become impossible at this point,” said Mr. Wicker, a 23-year-old student from Shelbyville, Ind.