Barista - Temporary

Barnes & Noble•Annapolis, MD

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 supports efficient café operations by maintaining attractive displays and a clean environment, stocking deliveries, tidying the bake case and dining area, and serving customers professionally at the register. The Barista is expected to demonstrate reliable attendance, flexibility in responding to store scheduling needs, a positive and energetic approach to assigned work, consideration for colleagues, cheerful customer service, and willingness to learn. The position involves mastering café operations and may include supporting the bookfloor team or, when needed and possible, working in other stores within the wider Cluster. As skills develop, the Barista is expected to build product knowledge, support sales and promotions, make customization recommendations, and uphold café safety, hygiene, and sanitation standards. The role offers a career path toward Senior Barista. Employees must comply with company policies and procedures.

Requirements

Reliable and punctual attendance for scheduled shifts.
Flexibility and responsiveness to store scheduling needs, including availability that may involve early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and most holidays.
Positive, energetic, dependable approach to work and assigned tasks.
Supportive and considerate conduct toward colleagues.
Cheerful, helpful customer service and willingness to go out of the way to assist customers.
Aptitude and willingness to learn new skills and knowledge.
Ability to use registers, computers, tablets, programs, and other tools comfortably and efficiently.
Ability to perform physical activity including prolonged standing, repetitive bending, lifting, and extensive walking.
Enjoyment of working as a barista.

Responsibilities

Welcome customers, answer questions, and help them select beverages and café items.
Maintain café presentation and cleanliness, including the counter, floor retail fixtures, bake case, and dining area.
Operate registers to serve customers quickly, reliably, and professionally.
Support receiving and unpacking deliveries, then stock products accurately and efficiently.
Prepare food and drinks correctly using product knowledge, colleagues’ guidance, recipe guides, product specification sheets, and other tools.
Complete daily and weekly cleaning tasks during shifts and maintain café safety, hygiene, and sanitation standards.
Follow First In First Out (FIFO) practices and date products consistently and correctly.
Support the bookfloor team when needed and, when able and required, collaborate with other stores in the Cluster.
Follow loss-prevention procedures, identify theft or problematic behavior, use de-escalation techniques, and seek support as appropriate.
Build knowledge of beverage, bakery, savory, gifting, and café retail products; maintain appealing product presentation.
Communicate café sales objectives, new limited-time-offer items, and promotions to customers and colleagues.
Recommend food and beverage customizations and support key products and promotions.
Use café training tools appropriately and continue developing barista knowledge and skills.
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 employees scheduled 20 or more hours per week
Company-paid holidays for employees scheduled 20 or more hours per week
401(k) with company match for employees scheduled 20 or more hours per week
Transit benefits for employees scheduled 20 or more hours per week
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits for employees scheduled 30 or more hours per week
Healthcare and dependent care spending accounts for employees scheduled 30 or more hours per week
Disability benefits for employees scheduled 30 or more hours per week
Life insurance for employees scheduled 30 or more hours per week
Tuition reimbursement for employees scheduled 30 or more hours per week