Lead Barista - FT

Barnes & Noble • Woodmere, OH

4d • Onsite

About The Position

A Lead Barista is an integral member of the Barnes & Noble café team who guides colleagues, maintains compelling product presentations, and helps oversee the efficient operation of the Café. The role combines hands-on barista work with coaching and shift leadership, while fostering a welcoming environment where colleagues feel supported and concerns are addressed promptly. The Lead Barista models positive, dependable, customer-focused behavior, supports baristas and booksellers, and helps keep shifts on track.

The role requires proficiency in drink making, food preparation, register operations, merchandising, receiving and stocking deliveries, cleaning, and café safety and sanitation. The Lead Barista coaches the café team in these areas and supports bookstore presentation and loss prevention standards. As experience and expertise grow, the Lead Barista takes on broader contributions to café operations, including ordering, inventory and waste logs, customer recommendations, sales objectives, and training support. The position involves physical activity, including prolonged standing, repetitive bending, lifting, and extensive walking. The employee may also work at other stores when able and needed to support the wider Cluster. The role is expected to develop into further career opportunities as skills are mastered.

Requirements

• Mastered skills in drink making, food preparation, and other café tools and processes.
• Strong merchandising skills and ability to maintain cleanliness and presentation standards.
• Ability to coach baristas in customer service, register speed and accuracy, stocking, cleaning, and café operations.
• Ability to support accurate and timely ordering, inventory, and waste logging.
• Knowledge of café safety, hygiene, and sanitation guidelines and procedures.
• Ability to follow loss prevention procedures, identify theft, and de-escalate challenging situations and problematic behaviors.
• Reliable and punctual attendance, flexibility to fill scheduling gaps when able, and a positive, proactive approach to work.
• Supportive and considerate approach to colleagues and cheerful, helpful customer service.
• Willingness and aptitude to learn new skills and knowledge, take initiative, and support the learning and development of others.
• Physical ability to perform prolonged standing, repetitive bending, lifting, and extensive walking.
• Enjoy working as a barista.

Responsibilities

• Model best practices in drink making, food preparation, and café tools and processes, and coach the team in effective execution.
• Coach the café team in creating and maintaining a full, vibrant bake case, adjusting displays, and meeting cleanliness and presentation standards.
• Guide baristas in visual merchandising for counter and floor retail fixtures and keep the Café neat and tidy.
• Coach baristas in customer conversations and improve register speed and accuracy.
• Support baristas in receiving and unpacking deliveries, stocking accurately and efficiently, and following First In First Out (FIFO) practices.
• Support execution of daily and weekly café cleaning tasks.
• Support the bookfloor team in maintaining presentation standards.
• Coach the team in loss prevention procedures and help maintain a safe, secure bookstore, including spotting theft and de-escalating challenging situations and problematic behaviors.
• Place food and beverage orders accurately and on time to keep the Café in stock.
• Complete and submit accurate monthly inventory and waste logs on time.
• Coach the team to make effective food and beverage recommendations to customers.
• Lead and support the Café’s focus on sales objectives, including new limited-time offers, promotions, and Membership, and share relevant information with customers and colleagues.
• Use café training tools and resources to help baristas broaden their experience.
• Apply café safety, hygiene, and sanitation guidelines and procedures to maintain standards.
• Act as a resource for baristas and booksellers, resolve concerns, and raise issues to leadership.
• Prioritize resources and barista support to keep shifts on track.
• Maintain reliable and punctual attendance, fill scheduling gaps when able, and work collaboratively at other stores when able and needed.
• 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 at least 20 hours per week)
• Company-paid holidays (for employees scheduled at least 20 hours per week)
• 401(k) with company match (for employees scheduled at least 20 hours per week)
• Transit benefits (for employees scheduled at least 20 hours per week)
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision health benefits (for employees scheduled at least 30 hours per week)
• Healthcare and dependent care spending accounts (for employees scheduled at least 30 hours per week)
• Disability benefits (for employees scheduled at least 30 hours per week)
• Life insurance (for employees scheduled at least 30 hours per week)
• Tuition reimbursement (for employees scheduled at least 30 hours per week)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed