I have a lot of friends who have jobs in everything from waitressing to reception desks. But when someone comes to me and asks if I think they would be good in a coffee shop, I always say yes. It doesn't really matter if you aren't the most outgoing person or if you don't think your very good with people. Chances are that you just haven't had the opportunity to face people in a work environment yet. So if you think you might be good (or even interested) in this little niche, here are some tips. 1. Apply Everywhere This kind of goes for all jobs. If you want a job in a specific field, apply for everything in the area. If you want to be a barista, don't limit yourself to that one Starbucks down the street. Apply at three different Starbucks and Dunn Bros and Caribou. 2. Be Friendly Friendliness is key. There are some people at my work that get by on friendliness alone. You don't have to be amazing behind the bar or overly excited when you talk to people. Just be friendly. 3. Ask Around Again, you should do this for any kind of job. Ask current and former employees about their work experiences and then narrow down your search from that. 4. Be Efficient Let's say you get hired at the best coffee shop in the area. Chances are that you don't know what the heck you're doing and you're probably overwhelmed. I've been there more than you know. The trick is to just stay busy. It shows the supervisor that they can rely on you and it's extremely helpful. It doesn't take a level 100 barista to know how to wipe down tables and clean some syrup pumps. Never be afraid to take initiative and ask what you could do to help. 5. Don't Freak Out I still struggle with this sometimes. But if there is a rush of people and you don't know what you're doing, don't freak out. I find the easiest way to maintain control is to remove yourself emotionally. It sounds really backwards but you're not helping at all if you start hyperventilating and going into a panic attack. Just take the order and move on. And then make the drink and move on. Don't get to caught up in the timers the number of orders. 6. Give It Time If you are new, you're going to need time to adjust. I almost quit when I was just a month in because the stress was really getting to me. Looking back, it was definitely a low point. I was terrible under pressure and it was so hard for me to balance work with my life. But I pushed through and one day it just clicked. It was one of the hardest life lessons I ever learned but it's worth it in the end. 7. Be Yourself One of the reasons people love coffeeshops is the people that work in coffeeshops because it's in our job description to be nice to you. That's not to say we wouldn't be nice to you anyway. The best way to make a good impression is to just be yourself. The only reason I got hired is because I walked into the store one day and acted like my overly excited self and my manager liked me. Some of us our quiet, some of us are loud, some of us love to make conversation, some are more straightforward. Whatever your personality is, there's room for variety. So don't sweat it. For All You Slackers Out There. If you're looking for a job solely for the money, this probably isn't the path for you. You're probably going to make minimum wage and tips aren't super amazing all of the time. It's also not a "bare minimum" kind of job. you're going to have to work hard and you'll be on your feet a lot and you have to be a really self-motivated person. But at the end of the day, it's worth it. I love my coworkers and I love my manager and I love my job. And to be honest, your not going to get very far in life if you're only motivated by money. So drink some coffee, grab a scone, and get out there. Who knows? Maybe you'll be the next Howard Shultz. Out of Coffee.
Well, that's a wrap on our little coffee adventure. I'm so happy to let you guys know all about my life as a coffee-holic. Again if you guys have any questions or comments, just post them below. And let me know if you want me to continue doing mini-series here and there. Thanks for visiting!
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And How To Save Money On Them Hey, hey, hey! I'm so excited about this post because I feel like people don't utilize their full coffee knowledge because there are lots of tricks, people. Okay so the first thing I should tell you is that the "best drinks" vary from person to person. I like bitter hot things, you might like sweet cold things. But hold up there bae before you click away (hehe I rhymed), I've got something here for everyone. I got your back man. The Best Drinks1. The White Chocolate Cold Press This is one of our most recommended drinks at my store. If you don't know what a cold press is, it's basically just iced coffee that undergoes a twelve hour brewing process... in other words, it's like liquid gold. Now for you sweet-tooths out there I would recommend a full shot of white chocolate and if that's still not sweet enough, add a half shot of vanilla. 2. The White Chocolate Hot Cold Press No it's not a typo. We steam the cold press with white chocolate and it's delicious. Probably one of my favorite drinks of all time. BONUS: A large is like four bucks. 3. The Cinnamon Carmel Tea Latte This drink is especially for people that don't like coffee. A tea latte is just like regular tea except it requires hot milk instead of hot water. Now people take notes: I personally call this drink the "Cinna-whisp" because it tastes like little whispers of cinnamon and caramel kisses. Order a tea latte with some kind of cinnamon based tea with a shot (or a half shot depending on how sweet/expensive you want it) of caramel. You can thank me later. 4. The London Fog Okay so maybe it's just the new-ness of this drink to me but you guys, it's all I'm drinking right now. It's similar to the Cinnamon Caramel Tea Latte, except it's an Earl Grey Tea Latte with a full/half shot of vanilla. A customer came and ordered this last week and I had no idea what it was but it is delicious and it really does remind me of London fog. 5. The Hot Shot Next time you are thinking about ordering an Espresso Cooler/Frappacino, tell them to make it a hot shot poured over the top instead of a cold shot blended in. It won't cost extra but it's fresher. Cold Shots don't have any espresso crema (the soft, tan layer of bubbles at the top) because it dissipates after about five minutes. So get the fresh shot unless you are really not into your frap melting a little... because it will. 6. The Fruity Smoothie If you're not in the mood for a basic smoothie or just looking to jazz up your smoothie game I have a few suggestions... 1. Get a full/half shot of raspberry. (Sweetens your drink) 2. Get a cream pop (calms down flavor and makes a little more ice-creamy) 3. Both (completely changes dynamic of the drink. If you're feeling sassy, get your smoothie with a cream pop and a shot of vanilla) How To Save Money There are some really easy ways to cut down the price of your drinks. The first four of the above drinks are going to be a lot cheaper than a lot of other drinks, but I'll give you some pointers. 1. Anything With Espresso Will Be More Expensive. But hold on there is a way around this one. If you order a large mocha from Starbucks, you're going to get a mocha with 3 shots of espresso for about $5.02. However, If you order a large iced mocha from Starbucks you will get a mocha with 4 shots of espresso for $5.02. This is because coffee companies over compensate on the espresso (and any other additives) to make up for the ice that is going to melt into your drink. So if you're after caffeine, go for the iced option. 2. Americanos>Mochas I'm going to try not to confuse you while I explain this. Large Iced Mocha ($4.95): 4 shots of espresso (with chocolate, ice, and milk) Large Iced Americano ($2.95): 5 shots of espresso (with ice) So at first glance it seems like it's fair because a mocha has a bunch of extra stuff right? wrong. An americano is not only $2 cheaper but it also has an entire extra shot of espresso. Even with the chocolate included, your still saving $1.20 plus the extra shot. So If you want extra caffeine for less money, get an Iced White Chocolate Americano and then ask for room and add the milk yourself for free. You're welcome for the biggest coffee hack you've ever seen. 3. Go For the Half Shot. You'll only save about forty cents but that actually adds up pretty fast just for two or three extra pumps of syrup. Let me put it this way, If you switched from going from a vanilla latte to a half vanilla latte, you'd be saving enough money to get 1 in 10 lattes for free. Plus it cuts the amount of calories in half so double bonus. 4. Bring Your Own Cup You save ten cents the moment you put your own cup on the table. 5. Always Ask If There Are Deals As a barista, I can't honor a deal unless the customer asks about it or mentions it. Always ask if there are any deals before you order because it's possible you walked in on "Buy one get one" day without even realizing it. 6. Get the Reward's Program Birthday drinks, discounts, deals, Bogos, everything is available to reward's members. So if you are a regular at your local coffee shop, get the rewards. It really does save you a lot of money. Just so you know... TBS is coming to a close soon but if you have any more questions or blog requests about anything barista related, just let me know in the comments! I'm so happy to get you in on all the tips and tricks so just tell me if you really enjoyed this mini series and maybe I'll add a few more. Love you guys:) Grab your lattes and fire up your espresso machines people. I'm about to tell you all of the bar secrets. I get a lot of questions about my job when I tell people where I work. I think the art of coffee making is just something that people have a lot of questions about in general (it's really just water over grounds, people). So here we go people. These are the most frequently asked coffee question for you. 1. "How do you remember all the drinks?"
Every drink has basically the same formula. Mochas are always milk, espresso, chocolate, and usually a syrup. Lattes are just milk and espresso. Coolers are essentially just a sugary mix with ice and whatever syrup or chocolate the guest wants. So, it's not that hard to remember. There are a few drinks that are more difficult but you memorize everything after a couple weeks. 2. "Do you have a lot of regulars?" Yes. I would say about 1 in 10 customers is a regular. Cathy comes in at least once a day for a depth charge with heavy cream; Andy (Cathy's husband) comes for his large white mocha; Jerry also gets a large white mocha with non fat whip and an extra shot of espresso; Larissa always gets a large, decaf cooler with four pumps of almond and a flat lid because she likes to eat the whip with a spoon... A lot of times we will see someone park and we try to have their drink made before they even order. I honestly think our store would go under without all of our regulars. 3. "Is it hard?" This is a tricky question to answer. I wouldn't say that the job itself is hard. I would say that there are difficult moments. It's hard when I'm on bar by myself and there is a rush of people and I'm trying to get as many drinks out as possible, but for the most part, it's not so bad. 4. "How early do you get up to go to work." 4:oo on weekdays and 4:30 on weekends. 5. "Do you like working there?" Absolutely. I love my manager, I love my coworkers, and I love my costumers. I've never gotten to work and really dreaded being there. If anything, I really look forward to working. 6. "Are there a lot of rude costumers?" No, usually everyone is pretty polite. 7. "You must love being around all the drinks all day." This isn't really a question but I do hear it a lot. The truth is that I, just like the majority of my coworkers, don't like the sugary stuff anymore. After being surrounded by it all day, all I really want is some black coffee and water. The longer you work at a coffee shop, the more bitter you tastebuds become. I would drink a cup of espresso before I would drink a small caramel cooler. 8. "Is it really busy?" Yep. A lot of the other coffeeshops in the area are too. We get the most traffic on weekends and in on the weekday mornings. 9. "What did you do to get hired?" Once upon a time I walked in to get coffee and my manager saw me and said, "You're so cute! You should apply here!" So I did. The end. 10. "Would you recommend it as a first job?" Definitely. It is difficult to get the hang of but it teaches you to be relaxed under pressure and be able to make executive decisions. You have to be a hard worker and a team player. It really is the best job I could have gotten. Plus there's free coffee involved. Hey beauties, how’s it hanging’? In case you didn’t know, I have been working at Caribou Coffee for almost two years now. I have a lot of experience with the job and I always think its fun to talk to people who seem to have a lot of interest about what it means to make coffee for a living. So in case you, too, are interested, I welcome you to The Barista Series. I’m so excited to share everything I know about my job plus a little extra over the next few posts! So let's start with square one. I think it's important for you to know that I love my job and I love my customers. However... We can all learn new ways to improve, right? But I got your back. Even if you're not an avid coffee drinker, these are things to know in any service situation. I made up a little list of ten things your barista wants you to know because it's helpful to you and to especially to us. So here we go, folks. 10 Things Your Barista Wants You to Know 1. Know What You Want I am the queen of going up to the counter at any food service place and standing around like an idiot while I try to figure out what I want, but it's not super fun to be on the other side of the counter listening to someone say, "ummm..." as they quickly scan the menu. Here is a little tip: Every food business has an online menu. Caribou Coffee even has an app with a customizable menu and nutritional facts. So before you walk up to the counter and start holding up the line, just take a moment to think about what you're going to say. 2. Patience is a Two-Way Street Guys, as strange as it sounds, we do time out of coffee. You see, after we brew a batch of coffee, it's only good for and hour, so if you happen to walk in on us while we are grinding beans to brew a new batch, just bear with us. We're going as fast as we can but it's not helpful for you to clear your throat and tap your foot. We know you're there, and your about to get some super fresh coffee so your welcome. 3. We Are Not Your Coffee Slaves I understand that the majority of people are polite and usually even friendly. We love you, never change. But there is always that person that comes in at 6:00 in the morning with an aura of rudeness. I get it, you just woke up and you're not a morning person, but here's the thing, I had to get up an hour before you and I've already been at work for a half hour today, so don't give me attitude while I'm taking your order. Remember, I have the power to make your latte decaf. 4. Know Your Lingo This one isn't as important but for some reason it just seems to get on every barista's nerves. So let me clear it up. Starbucks thinks it's necessary to use phrases like "tall," "grande," and "venti." I don't understand who thought it was a good idea to use the word "big" for every size because the second you order a "tall latte" from Caribou, we are going to give you a large. I make it a point to just say "small" if I want a small because that's a universal term and Starbucks doesn't need to rewrite the laws of the universe for a freakin' cup of coffee. Also, if you are at Caribou, it's not a "frappicino" it's a "cooler". And if you're at Starbucks its not a "frappe," it's a "frappacino." We will understand what you mean if you mix up the terms but it's just one of those "when in Rome" scenarios. 5. Not Every Drink is Universal Take notes people, this is muy importante: If you order a "large caramel macchiato" from literally anywhere but Starbucks, you are not going to get a caramel macchiato that's even similar to the one at Starbucks. A real macchiato is espresso and froth. That's it. I've learned the hard way that people will think I made a drink wrong if I make a real macchiato with caramel in it. So I'm going to save you the trouble of this mix up and tell you what to order when you want a "Starbucks caramel macchiato" from anywhere (write this down people): "Could I get a (size) latte with a full shot of vanilla and extra caramel drizzle on top?" That's right people, your precious caramel macchiato is a vanilla latte. Mind blown. 6. If You Want It Blended, Say It When You Order This is the moST ANNOYING THING TO US. I'm going to try not to rant but I cannot tell you how many times I have made a turtle mocha and people say, "I said I wanted this blended." Girl, no you didn't. Because our ears are trained to hear the word "blended" and chances are that you didn't say it. We will smile and say, "I'm sorry let me remake that for you!" but there are five other orders on the screen and it's killing us. Now we get it sometimes people just make a mistake and forget to mention that it's a cooler or a frappacino or whatever. So if you humbly come to us and say, "I'm sorry, I think I forgot to say that I wanted it blended, would you mind remaking it? I can wait for you to finish whatever your working on." Then not only will we remake it but there is a 94% chance we will let you keep the extra drink. 7. I'm Sorry We Try to Sell You Things It's in our job description to make a certain number of sales to customers. We're a business so it's just how it goes. But it is awkward for me to say, "And have you tried any of our La Minita Blend this year? It's our most premium coffee from Costa Rica and we are also donating to the veteran's hospital. Would you like to donate or take a pound home with you today?" to every single costumer. I know you just heard it and I know you're probably not interested, but just go with it and politely decline. I promise I'm not offended. 8. We Don't like Your Late Night Coffee Runs Dude, it's 8:55 and we close at nine. We've already broken down two espresso machines and cleaned the store so that we don't go overtime. If you order two snowdrifts and four mochas then you are setting us way back. My manager tells us that if someone comes in anytime past five minutes before close, then we should probably tell them that we're closing and done for the night. It's a race to try to get everything wrapped up by nine thirty even without a flow of customers at night. So unless you're about to pull an all nighter at your office, please reconsider throwing our closing hour off the rail. 9. Don't Be That Guy Let me tell you who that guy is. He's the guy that orders a latte and then gets to the end of the counter and says, "Ya know, you don't have to throw away that extra shot of espresso. If you don't want to, that is." He's that guy that sits in the store until it's 9:00 on the dot every night with his stuff sprawled around and waits for us to come over and tell him that we have to close. He's the guy that orders one drink and then tells us he's changed his mind on what he wants after he received his first drink. Please, for the sake of our sanity, don't be that guy. 10. You Have The Power to Make Our Day I honestly get so excited when I see Cathy or Andy or any of our regulars walk in the door because they make my job 110 times better. There are so many times when I go home with stories about how nice people come in and are just so friendly. My coworker Kyle has been dating his girlfriend for almost a year because she was a regular when he started working there. We honestly love nice people so much so don't be afraid to tell us how your day is going or spark up a conversation because we really do enjoy talking to you. You like coffee, I like coffee, so hey man, we're like already best friends. |
Author"Life is short. Stay awake for it." |