Barista - Temporary

Barnes & Noble•Cary, NC

22d•Onsite

About The Position

A Barnes & Noble Barista is an integral member of the café team, welcoming customers, answering questions, and helping them choose beverages and café items. The role also supports efficient café operations by maintaining attractive displays and a clean dining area, stocking deliveries, and providing quick, friendly service at the register. Baristas are expected to demonstrate reliable attendance, flexibility to help fill scheduling gaps, a positive and energetic approach, consideration for colleagues, cheerful customer service, and a willingness to learn. The position involves mastering café operations, including using technology and registers, merchandising, receiving and stocking deliveries, preparing food and drinks, completing cleaning tasks, following FIFO and product-dating practices, and applying loss prevention and de-escalation procedures. Baristas may support the bookselling team and, if able and needed, work at other stores within the wider Cluster. As their skills develop, Baristas build knowledge of café beverages, bakery and savory products, gifting, promotions, customization recommendations, retail options, training tools, and café safety, hygiene, and sanitation. The role offers a career path toward Senior Barista. The position requires prolonged standing, repetitive bending, lifting, and substantial walking, and compliance with company policies and procedures.

Requirements

Reliable and punctual attendance for scheduled shifts.
Flexibility and responsiveness to store scheduling needs, including availability to fill gaps when able.
Positive, energetic, hardworking, and reliable approach to assigned tasks.
Supportive and considerate conduct toward colleagues.
Cheerful, helpful customer service.
Aptitude and willingness to learn new skills and knowledge.
Ability to use registers, computers, tablets, programs, and other tools comfortably and efficiently.
Ability to serve customers quickly and reliably at a register.
Ability to prepare food and drinks accurately.
Ability to perform physical work involving prolonged standing, repetitive bending, lifting, and substantial walking.
Enjoyment of working as a barista.

Responsibilities

Welcome customers, answer questions, and help them choose 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 recipe guides, product specification sheets, and available knowledge.
Complete daily and weekly café cleaning tasks and maintain cleanliness.
Follow First In First Out (FIFO) practices and date products correctly.
Support the bookfloor team when needed.
Follow loss prevention procedures, identify theft or problematic behavior, use de-escalation techniques, and seek support when needed.
Build product knowledge across beverages, bakery, savory options, and gifting, and use it to support café presentation and sales.
Share knowledge of limited-time offers, promotions, and key sales objectives with customers and colleagues.
Recommend food and beverage customizations and support café retail options and promotions.
Follow café safety, hygiene, and sanitation guidelines and procedures.
Maintain reliable and punctual attendance and, when able, help fill scheduling gaps.
Comply with company policies and procedures.