Barista - Temporary

Barnes & Noble • Charleston, SC

2d

About The Position

A Barista is an integral member of the Barnes & Noble Café team, welcoming customers, answering questions, and helping them choose beverages and café items. The role contributes to an attractive, clean, and efficiently run Café by stocking deliveries, maintaining the bake case and dining area, and providing quick, friendly service at the register. Baristas are expected to work positively and reliably, support colleagues, learn new skills, and enjoy serving customers as part of a busy team.

The position involves mastering café operations, including using registers and other technology; maintaining café and retail displays; preparing food and drinks accurately; receiving, unpacking, and stocking deliveries; completing cleaning tasks; following FIFO and product-dating practices; and supporting the bookfloor team when needed. Baristas also learn loss-prevention procedures and de-escalation techniques. The work includes prolonged standing, repetitive bending, lifting, and substantial walking. Baristas may work at other stores when able and when support is needed across the Cluster.

As experience grows, Baristas develop knowledge of beverage, bakery, savory, and gifting products; maintain appealing product presentation; support sales objectives and promotions; recommend food and beverage customizations; use café training tools; and follow safety, hygiene, and sanitation procedures. Baristas who master the role are expected to advance to Senior Barista. The position is temporary, and employees must comply with company policies and procedures.

Requirements

• Maintain reliable and punctual attendance for scheduled shifts.
• Be flexible and responsive to store scheduling needs, including filling scheduling gaps when able.
• Bring a positive, willing, energetic, hardworking, and reliable approach to assigned tasks.
• Be supportive and considerate of colleagues and helpful to customers.
• Show aptitude and willingness to learn new skills and knowledge.
• Be comfortable and efficient using technology such as registers, computers, tablets, programs, and other tools.
• Develop and use merchandising, visual merchandising, register, food and drink preparation, stocking, cleaning, FIFO, and loss-prevention skills.
• Meet the physical demands of prolonged standing, repetitive bending, lifting, and substantial walking.
• Enjoy working as a barista.

Responsibilities

• Welcome customers cheerfully, answer questions, and help them select beverages and café items.
• Maintain an attractive and clean Café presentation, including the bake case, dining area, counter, and retail fixtures.
• Operate registers quickly, reliably, and professionally.
• Receive and unpack deliveries and accurately stock products.
• Prepare food and drinks correctly using product knowledge, recipe guides, product specification sheets, and other available tools.
• Complete daily and weekly café cleaning tasks during shifts.
• Follow First In First Out (FIFO) practices and date products consistently and correctly.
• Support the bookfloor team when needed and collaborate with other stores in the Cluster when able and required.
• Follow loss-prevention procedures, identify theft or problematic behavior, use de-escalation techniques, and seek support for issues in the store.
• Build product knowledge across beverages, bakery, savory items, and gifting, and use it to maintain appealing displays and assist customers.
• Support sales objectives, limited-time offers, café promotions, and café retail options by sharing product knowledge with customers and colleagues.
• Recommend food and beverage customizations to customers.
• Use café training tools and follow café safety, hygiene, and sanitation guidelines and procedures.
• Comply with company policies and procedures.

Benefits

• Employee discount
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Sick pay
• Paid time off, including paid maternity and parental leave (for eligible scheduled hours)
• Company-paid holidays (for eligible scheduled hours)
• 401(k) with company match (for eligible scheduled hours)
• Transit benefits (for eligible scheduled hours)
• Medical, dental, and vision benefits (for employees scheduled 30 hours or more)
• Healthcare and dependent care spending accounts (for employees scheduled 30 hours or more)
• Disability benefits (for employees scheduled 30 hours or more)
• Life insurance (for employees scheduled 30 hours or more)
• Tuition reimbursement (for employees scheduled 30 hours or more)

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed