Barista - PT

Role Overview

A Barnes & Noble bookstore is a gathering place for readers and the community. As a Barista, you are an integral member of the team at the heart of our Cafés. You welcome customers in a cheerful and helpful way by saying hello, answering questions and consistently going out of your way to connect readers with the right beverages and café items.

You help unpack and stock deliveries, tidy our bakes case and dining area, and work our registers in a quick and friendly manner, ensuring customers receive a highly professional service.

These behaviors demonstrate that you are an excellent Barista:

• Maintain reliable and punctual attendance for scheduled shifts.
• Fill scheduling gaps when possible, being flexible and responsive to the needs of the store — open early mornings to late evenings, every day, including weekends and most holidays.
• Be positive and energetic, working hard and reliably.
• Support and show consideration for colleagues, helping others and demonstrating kindness.
• Always be cheerful with customers, consistently going out of your way to help them.
• Show aptitude and willingness to learn new skills and acquire new knowledge in the store.
• Enjoy being a barista!

As a Barista, you are required to master these competencies:

• Use varied technology including registers, computers, tablets, programs and other tools comfortably and efficiently.
• Develop strong merchandising skills to maintain the café presentation and cleanliness of the Café.
• Develop effective visual merchandising skills for counter and floor retail fixtures.
• Run a register competently to serve customers quickly and reliably.
• Support the receiving and unpacking of deliveries, and perform efficient, accurate stocking.
• Make food and drinks properly, using knowledge, colleague input and available resources such as drink recipe guides and product spec sheets.
• Maintain café cleanliness through accurate daily and weekly cleaning tasks during your shift.
• Follow and execute First In First Out (FIFO) practices and date products consistently and correctly.
• Support the bookfloor team willingly and effectively when needed.
• Understand loss prevention procedures and de‑escalation techniques, identifying theft and problematic behaviors.

All this work requires physical activity which includes prolonged standing, repetitive bending, lifting, and a lot of walking. You may work in other stores if needed to support the wider Cluster.

As you gain experience, you should expect your barista knowledge and skills to develop. You will:

• Build café knowledge of the products we offer across beverage, bakery, and savory options and gifting.
• Maintain an interesting and appetizing presentation using this knowledge.
• Speak about and support key sales objectives such as new LTO items or café promotions, sharing knowledge with customers and colleagues.
• Make effective food and beverage customization recommendations to customers.
• Build knowledge and engagement for execution of café retail options.
• Use Café training tools appropriately.
• Apply knowledge of café safety, hygiene, sanitation guidelines, and procedures to maintain all standards correctly and reliably.
• Support the success of key products and promotions.

As you develop and demonstrate mastery of the skills outlined in this role, you are expected to advance to the next step in the career path — Senior Barista — where you will take on new challenges and gain further opportunities for growth.

All in all, you will comply with all company policies and procedures.