can depend on which store you end up at, but it is quite an experience. I started at a café store, no drive thru so I got a lot of training and practice on drinks and customer service. I did have to resign and was rehired in the same district last year but at a different store that is considered high volume and a drive thru. comparing the two, if you like slower paced work and don’t mind standing around and trying to make yourself busy then I’d say apply at a café. if you like to be on your toes and constantly busy then try to aim for a busier store. and you can always transfer after 6 months so if you do end up somewhere you don’t like then I guess transferring is always an option.
you also need to have a poker face, luckily with masks it’s easy, but you will hear and see some things while working there and I find it difficult to keep my composure with some “special” customers. all-in-all you might enjoy it since you’re young and hopefully they can work with your school schedule :)
also, some regulars become the best part of your day! not every customer is as devilish as some of the posts on here say. I like to keep my energy up for some of the really nice regulars!

1. Start shift
2. Go to bathroom to cry
3. End shift

Haha but in all seriousness, in my opinion it totally varies between location. I was basically the same as you when I started. I was a little younger. 17 and a freshman in college. I started inside of a target Starbucks. So technically I was a target employee. I really loved this location as well as my manager and fellow baristas. I was offered more money and a lead barista position at another Starbucks inside of a different store, so I took it. Sadly it went downhill pretty quickly, the manager that hired me immediately quit and the whole work environment was just a mess. I couldn’t handle it. I ended up then applying to an actual Starbucks standalone store. Our store was quite busy. Definitely different than the past two stores I worked at. At my first two stores, I thought I was an amazing barista. I quickly humbled myself because at this new busy location, I couldn’t even handle working bar (making drinks) by myself. I promise I’m not trying to scare you or bore you with my life story. Of course there is going to be a lot to learn about the different drinks and recipes, but it’s pretty easy to catch on quickly. You kind of have to be a people person here. We’re all about “making the moment right” and “customer connections.” I was kind of just trying to fake it til I could make it. This is a huge reason I left Starbucks, I’m just not cut out for customer service. I genuinely love people and being friendly but not when I’m getting yelled at over coffee, which would happen a lot. If you are a quick learner and you’re not afraid of a fast-paced environment, I do not see any reason why a Starbucks is not a good option for you! I did it for years, but I decided to move on to something that was better suited for my lifestyle. I do hope my answer was at least a little bit helpful. Reading it all back it sound very sarcastic. I did genuinely enjoy my first 2 years at the Starbucks inside Target, after that it went downhill for me personally. But working there could be totally different for you!

like others are saying, it does depend on each store. i’ve had a friend work for one in a stand-alone shop and it never got crazy enough to need more than 4 people. i had another friend who worked at just about every store in our area and some were just busier than others. i’ve been working for about a month now (two weeks training, two on my own) and it definitely stays busy. however, i like that. i like when things are fast-paced and keep going and i like having a lot to do at once. for me, the hardest part has been remembering where everything is on the register and making friends lol. you pick things up as you. some quicker than others so don’t beat yourself up. but when it does finally slow down, begin restocking and cleaning like crazy because closing suuuucks.

I’m an opener in a small, suburban town outside of LA - my store is on “block scheduling,” which means we all work the same day part every work day. I got to choose mornings because they work out best for me as I’m attending ASU online. Sundays are always slow, but we’ve had a huge increase in business overall ever since COVID began. I always double up on my masks (one N95 and one cloth mask) and I don’t take my breaks in our break room, I go to my car. Since we are scheduled very specifically, I luckily don’t come in contact with tons of people, but customers are still not wearing masks regularly. I live in a very liberal area, but mask-wearing is still an issue in our drive thru, so we try to make sure the window is closed and blowing air constantly. this way there’s air circulation and less chance of getting infected! as for my daily tasks, the main responsibilities for openers are to prep / stock the food and pastries for the day, stock up iced coffee & brew hot coffee every 30 minutes, help customers as they come in, and keep things clean and sanitized throughout the shift. Honestly, I find mornings to be the easiest day part because of the lack of customers that early - while its slow, we are responsible for cleaning syrup pumps, our drains, sinks, and pressure rinsers, as well as our fruit / powder inclusions that go in the drinks. I love mornings and I recommend taking this day part if you want to hold onto a solid schedule - if you work mids / nights regularly, it can be really difficult to manage your time in the week. Sorry for the wall of text, i’m on mobile, but I hope this helps!