Cafe Team Expert

Barnes & Noble•DeWitt, NY

About The Position

The Café Team Expert is an integral leader for the Barnes & Noble café team, developing colleagues’ knowledge and helping create a welcoming customer environment. The role uses café data to influence sales, trends, waste, inventory, and profitability, and works collaboratively with the Store Manager to develop and adapt café action plans. The position combines barista operations with team coaching and café performance responsibilities. The Café Team Expert is expected to master the operational competencies of a Barnes & Noble Barista, model company behaviors, support the bookstore team, and grow their expertise over time. The work involves physical activity, including prolonged standing, repetitive bending, lifting, and extensive walking. The employee may also work in other stores when able and needed to support the wider Cluster. The role requires compliance with company policies and procedures. The posting lists an hourly starting rate of $24.00, depending on experience, seniority, geographic location, and other factors permitted by law. Benefits vary by scheduled weekly hours and location/state regulations.

Requirements

Demonstrate reliable and punctual attendance for scheduled shifts.
Be flexible and responsive to store needs, including filling scheduling gaps when able; the store is open from early mornings to late evenings every day, including weekends and most holidays.
Bring a positive, proactive approach, work reliably with purpose and energy, and lead by example.
Treat colleagues with kindness, fairness, encouragement, and respect.
Provide cheerful and helpful customer service and model it for the team.
Take initiative in personal development, learn enthusiastically, and use feedback to improve skills.
Listen actively and communicate information clearly to support company initiatives and goals.
Prioritize resources and barista support appropriately to keep shifts on track.
Enjoy working as a barista.
Master the operational competencies of a Barnes & Noble Barista, including drink making, food and beverage presentation, register operation, and customer order taking.
Use visual merchandising skills to maintain counter and floor retail fixtures.
Develop and use bookselling skills to support the bookfloor team when available.
Understand and apply loss-prevention procedures, theft awareness, and de-escalation practices.
Manage food and beverage inventory and complete accurate monthly inventory and waste logs.
Review café sales, inventory, and waste information and act to support sales and profitability.
Apply café safety, hygiene, and sanitation guidelines and procedures.
Perform physical work that includes prolonged standing, repetitive bending, lifting, and extensive walking.

Responsibilities

Lead by example and develop café team members’ knowledge to help create a welcoming environment for customers.
Use data to influence café sales, trends, waste, inventory, and profitability; present viable business strategies and collaborate with the Store Manager to implement and adapt café action plans.
Maintain reliable and punctual attendance, fill scheduling gaps when able, and provide leadership presence on the floor.
Prioritize resources and barista support to keep shifts on track.
Prepare drinks and maintain food and beverage presentation standards; adjust displays and model and coach effective practices.
Maintain counter and floor retail fixtures using visual merchandising skills.
Operate the register efficiently, take customer orders, and coach colleagues on order-taking efficiency and speed of service.
Support the bookfloor team willingly and effectively when available.
Coach the team to follow loss-prevention procedures and help maintain a safe, secure bookstore, including spotting theft and de-escalating challenging situations and problematic behaviors.
Manage inventory through effective food and beverage orders.
Complete and submit accurate monthly inventory and waste logs on time.
Make food and beverage recommendations using café knowledge and serve as a role model to the team.
Review category sales, inventory quantities, and product-waste reports, and act on the information to maximize sales and profitability.
Meet regularly with the Store Manager to review café sales performance, profitability, training, and opportunities to improve results.
Apply café safety, hygiene, and sanitation guidelines and procedures to maintain standards.
Support other stores and the wider Cluster when able and needed.
Comply with company policies and procedures.