Down time doesn’t mean stand around, even if you aren’t sure what to do when there’s down time, either ask your shift lead what you could/should do, or just start cleaning. Your shift lead/and veteran (not lazy) baristas will notice and will appreciate it.

Don’t take things personally.
Always ask questions even if you seem like a bother.
Actually enjoy and take your breaks cause it can get tiring.
Also have fun !! It’s a part time job with coffee you should enjoy it and not let others bring ya down!

This might help! https://www.reddit.com/r/starbucks/comments/m39nq9/updated_training_infographics/gqno3dg/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3

i wasn't too familiar with the menu when i started either, and it's no biggie. you will literally be able to read off the menu in your sleep whether you like it or not after a couple weeks. keep a travel sized bottle of *unscented* lotion in your apron pocket or wherever you put your personal items in the store. !and get to know your coworkers! you'll probably come to find that they'll make this job 10x more bearable

298 here (3 months in). I was pretty familiar with the menu coming in, and it's still been a *massive* learning curve. There's a lot of moving parts at Starbucks and I learn something new every shift! A couple of things that my favorite trainers taught me:

1. Starbucks is like a language. It sounds cheesy, but it's true. My first few weeks out of training I still really struggled with multitasking while doing DTO. But I've noticed recently I pick up on patterns of how people order, and it makes it much easier to memorize orders while I'm doing something else. At first, it requires a lot of brainpower to remember just one drink, but later it starts to become 2nd nature!
2. Ask questions. Hopefully, you'll be surrounded with coworkers who are supportive and will help you improve! It takes a long time to see everything, but I've found that the best way to learn fast is when you see someone doing something unfamiliar (cleaning something you don't know how to clean, making a drink you don't recognize, etc.) ask them about it! Be like "How many pumps does that drink get?" or "how often does that get cleaned?" or "how do we restock that?" This is also a way fantastic way to show you're invested in the job.
3. Don't be afraid to show customers you're human. One of my favorite trainers is an absolute legend on DTO, and it blew me away how honest she was with customers. Sometimes she would flat out say "I'm sorry, I'm trying to multitask and it's obviously not working. Could you repeat that 2nd drink for me one more time?" There will always be challenging customers, but it's amazing how often this gets a chuckle and they're happy to be patient with you, especially if they know you're learning!

I could type forever, but I'm stopping myself here. This job is certainly not easy and requires tough skin and a lot of learning, but it's my favorite job I've ever had. If you have a good team around you, it's really rewarding as far as food service goes. Good luck with training, partner! Don't forget to go easy on yourself, it's a process and you will get there!

Double. Check. Your. Scheduled. Time. In.

Just got to work and realized I start an hour from now... Too early for this nonsense. You bet I’m sleeping in my car a bit longer haha

Also just remember
**~ IN THE END IT’S JUST COFFEE ~**

Two tips I have that are not quite about the job but about the effects of the job. Your feet are going to KILL for about the first week, or at least that’s how mine were haha. Be sure to get lots of rest. And another thing, the combination of washing your hands constantly and the sanitizer we use for rags and dishes are going to absolutely destroy and dry out your hands. I highly recommend Curél ultra healing lotion. I got a huge bottle for $8 at target and it hydrates without burning and feeling like my hands are on fire.

i think you should be okay with minimal knowledge of the menu. i think it even makes it more fun to learn. a good tip is that when you’re taking orders on drive thru, you can always look at the drink fundamentals on the right-hand side of the screen as you’re ringing them in and you can use that as a way to study/familiarize yourself with drink recipes when you have time

yeah, in the end it IS just coffee! Everything will come to you eventually it’ll be like second nature, making drinks and remembering what’s in them - they’re all a lot more similar than you think. I didn’t even know half the food before I started working at Starbucks but I figured it out pretty quick!