Barista - Temporary

About the role

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. Equally, you are an essential part of the café team in maintaining the attractive presentation and ensuring the efficient running of the Café.

Responsibilities

• Help unpack and stock deliveries and tidy the bakes case and dining area.
• Operate registers in a quick and friendly manner, ensuring customers receive highly professional service.
• Use varied technology including registers, computers, tablets, programs and other tools comfortably and efficiently.
• Develop strong merchandising skills to maintain café presentation and cleanliness.
• Develop effective visual merchandising skills to maintain counter and floor retail fixtures.
• Run a register competently to serve customers quickly and reliably.
• Support receiving and unpacking of deliveries, and efficient, accurate stocking.
• Make food and drinks properly with ease and accuracy, using recipe guides, product spec sheets and other tools.
• Maintain café cleanliness through accurate, reliable execution of daily and weekly cleaning tasks during your shift.
• Follow and execute First In First Out (FIFO) practices and date product consistently and correctly.
• Support the bookfloor team willingly and effectively when needed.
• Understand loss prevention procedures and de-escalation techniques; identify theft, spot and seek support for problematic behaviors and issues in the store.
• Build café knowledge of products across beverage, bakery, savory and gifting options; use this knowledge to maintain presentation in an interesting and appetizing manner.
• Speak about and support key sales objectives such as new LTO items or café promotions, sharing this knowledge with customers and colleagues.
• Make effective food and beverage customization recommendations to customers on varied items.
• Build knowledge and engagement for execution of café retail options.
• Understand and use café training tools appropriately.
• Use knowledge about café safety, hygiene, sanitation guidelines and procedures to maintain all standards correctly and reliably.
• Support the success of key products and promotions.
• Comply with all company policies and procedures.

Requirements

Behaviors

• Maintain reliable and punctual attendance for scheduled shifts.
• Fill scheduling gaps when able, 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 willing in approach to work, performing assigned tasks with purpose and energy, working hard and reliably.
• Be supportive and considerate of colleagues, going out of your way to help others and showing kindness.
• Be always 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.

Operational competencies

• Proficiency with registers, computers, tablets, programs and other tools.
• Strong merchandising and visual merchandising skills for café presentation and retail fixtures.
• Competent register operation.
• Receiving, unpacking and accurate stocking of deliveries.
• Food and beverage preparation using recipe guides, spec sheets and colleague knowledge.
• Daily and weekly cleaning task execution.
• FIFO practices and consistent product dating.
• Willingness to support bookfloor team.
• Loss prevention awareness, de-escalation techniques, theft identification and issue escalation.

Physical requirements

Prolonged standing, repetitive bending, lifting and a lot of walking. May work in other stores if able and needed, collaboratively supporting the wider Cluster.

Career progression

As you gain experience and demonstrate mastery of the skills outlined, 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.

Benefits

Benefits vary by scheduled hours per week:

• Less than 20 hours/week: Employee Discount, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Sick Pay.
• 20–29.99 hours/week: Employee Discount, EAP, Sick Pay, Paid Time Off (including paid Maternity and Parental Leave), Company Paid Holidays, Transit, 401(k) with Company Match.
• 30 hours or more/week: Employee Discount, EAP, Sick Pay, Paid Time Off (including paid Maternity and Parental Leave), Company Paid Holidays, 401(k) with Company Match, Comprehensive Health Benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision), Healthcare and Dependent Care Spending Accounts, Healthcare Spending Account, Disability Benefits, Life Insurance, Transit, Tuition Reimbursement.

All benefits are in accordance with the terms of the current plan and may be subject to future change. Benefits may vary depending on location/state regulations. More information can be received from the recruiter or Human Resources.

Schedule

Classification: Temporary. Location: MS - Tupelo - The Mall at Barnes Crossing - 2346. Shifts cover early mornings to late evenings every day, including weekends and most holidays. Flexibility to fill scheduling gaps is expected.