Barista - Temporary

Barnes & Noble•Huntsville, AL

23d

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, clean displays and dining areas, stocking deliveries, preparing food and drinks, and serving customers professionally at the register. Baristas are expected to be reliable, punctual, positive, helpful to colleagues and customers, willing to learn, and enthusiastic about the work. Baristas are trained to use café technology and tools, maintain merchandising and cleanliness standards, operate registers, receive and stock deliveries, prepare food and drinks accurately, follow FIFO and product-dating practices, support the bookselling team when needed, and follow loss-prevention and de-escalation procedures. The job involves prolonged standing, repetitive bending, lifting, and extensive walking. Baristas may work at other stores when able and as needed to support the wider Cluster. As they gain experience, Baristas build knowledge of café products, promotions, customization recommendations, retail options, training tools, and safety, hygiene, and sanitation procedures. The position offers a career path to Senior Barista as skills develop. 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 to fill scheduling gaps when able.
Positive, energetic, purposeful, and reliable approach to assigned work.
Considerate and supportive behavior toward colleagues and helpful, cheerful service to 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 the physical activity required, including prolonged standing, repetitive bending, lifting, and extensive walking.
Willingness to work in other stores when able and needed to support the wider Cluster.

Responsibilities

Welcome customers cheerfully, answer questions, and help them select beverages and café items.
Maintain attractive café presentation, including the bakes case, dining area, counter, and retail fixtures.
Operate registers quickly, reliably, and professionally.
Receive, unpack, and accurately stock deliveries.
Prepare food and drinks correctly using product knowledge, recipe guides, product specifications, and other available tools.
Complete daily and weekly cleaning tasks and maintain café cleanliness.
Follow First In First Out (FIFO) practices and date products correctly and consistently.
Support the bookfloor team when needed.
Follow loss-prevention procedures and de-escalation techniques; identify theft and seek support for problematic behaviors or issues.
Develop knowledge of beverage, bakery, savory, gifting, and café retail products, and use it to maintain appealing displays and assist customers.
Share knowledge of new limited-time offers and café promotions with customers and colleagues and support related sales objectives.
Recommend effective food and beverage customizations to customers.
Use café training tools and follow café safety, hygiene, and sanitation guidelines and procedures.
Maintain reliable and punctual attendance, be flexible in responding to store scheduling needs, and support colleagues.
Comply with company policies and procedures.