Wow!

Something that is so entirely inconsiderate is when a friend of an employee comes to visit the employee during work, and proceeds to carry DEEP CONVERSATIONS + RANTS with that employee during that employee’s shift, instead of during that employee’s break. Again, the keyword here is deep. This is not a “oh hey, how have you been doing?” exchange type thing. And that employee happens to be working at like a fast food/coffee shop instead of some corporate office where the pace is more lax. Usually when one enters a fast food/coffee place, the idea is to place an order, grab it, and go. Hence, the "fast food" in the name fast food restuarant. Some coffee places even have a drive-thru because, again, the idea is to grab your order and go. The idea is not to lounge and wait around, unless there is a long customer line. The wait time then would be understandable.

Oh my God! And then that employee looks afraid to interrupt the friend and take your order quickly before continuing their genuine lengthy conversation.

I think that there is always a time and place for such things, and here, the fact of the matter is that the employee is obviously working at a workplace. Therefore, work duties should be priority.

I think what was the most interesting was that these were older employees. Actually I think the more interesting thing is that I would have been more forgiving had these employees had been younger considering that they are more inexperienced and that therefore, they probably don’t know better. However, these were older employees so I am surprised they did not know how to make the difference in that situation.
I feel that both people are at fault, although the employee has more fault. The friend, especially being an older person, should have realized the location and situation and maybe paused the conversation to make things easier for the employee. If that failed to happen, then the employee should have halted the conversation for a quick moment to take the customer's order. I say that the employee has more fault because ultimately the employee is at work and has a higher responsibility of making the correct decision to represent her workplace and employers.