I started as a barista at a high volume drive through and these days manage a low volume cafe. They both have pros and cons and it really depends on the culture and leadership for the partner experience. I miss working at a drive through store. I have a ton of fun taking orders in the drive through and connecting with customers (I roared at a customer recently). I like the high volume and fast pace it makes the hours fly by. Cafe stores have more opportunity for connecting since you don’t worry about window times (under normal circumstances, were not concerned about them now). But there are high volume cafe stores I have not had the privilege of working at yet. Overall it really comes down to the culture of the store to have fun and get down to business.

Words of wisdom for a new barista. You’re gonna mess up. It’s fine. Don’t get in your head or intimidated about it. There is a lot to learn and even today my baristas teach me things I didn’t know about or had the wrong information. Be okay with not being perfect. Be okay with messing up but learn from it. Utilize the knowledge of all the partners you work with. Consistently maintain a desire to grow and improve. When changes come, keep an open mind and give it a shot. Every partner from barista to manager to regional Vice President should be living up to the standards of our mission and values, they are not corporate bs they are real and alive. If something doesn’t Dee right and you feel your experience isn’t living up to that mission and values SPEAK UP! Your SM and DM should be accessible to you and if not your regional director should be. Take advantage of all your benefits and resources including the newly launched Lyra which you qualify for day one. And HAVE FUN! You will have amazing life changing experiences that you wouldn’t expect with customers and your team. It took me a full year to feel fully confident in all aspects of my job as a barista. Ask questions and be ready to take feedback positively.