Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
↑
6
↓
Green Bean Really Wanting to Learn Here! (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by Kind_Fox_951
I've been working at Starbucks for four weeks now and when I tell you I have no idea how to start on any of hot bar, I mean I just look at the ticket and completely blank out. Perhaps it is because of the lack of training and help I didn't receive and still continue to not receive. For example, I have been shown how to steam milk by three people but all who just do it themselves and say "Well, that's how it's done". I literally learned how to steam milk properly and didn't burn my milk for the first time ever four weeks into my job. This is because someone from morning shift out of genuine kindness took me over and showed me that only the tip of the wand is submerged at first, then you lay it down. This is what I'm talking about, its moments like those that I really appreciate. Far too often I'll just be shoved to the side instead of being shown the proper way to prepare a drink. The good thing is that I don't get stressed or agitated at any of my coworkers, they just make me feel like a burden most of the time. I know experience comes with time but its not going as fast as I'd like it to seeing as I'm always put on dishes or drive through.
​
All in all, what I'm really trying to say is that I just wish I had a teacher or a mentor who taught me the drinks one by one so that I could write them down and study them. I've tried making study sets from the Starbucks website but they only tell you so much. The recipe cards in-store I never see because let's be honest, there is never free time to actually go look at them and study them.
​
In hot bar, what really makes me blank out is the number of pumps. Do you know what Starbucks rules feel like? It feels like this: "Okay so a caramel macchiato takes 5 pumps for a venti, unless it's iced, then it takes one more... but also remember that since it has caramel it takes one less... oh but you already added another sweetener that they asked for so it takes one less again, but because it is Tuesday, we're doing one extra... duh."
​
Cold bar is a lot easier for me because it is a lot more step-by-step. The only thing that still gets me is which drinks get layered and which ones get topped with and without drizzle. This is because different baristas will tell me different answers. So, I'll make it the way one barista told me to do it another day and then the drive through barista will dump it out making me do it again all the while the Frappuccino cups are piling up only to be sent to go do dishes.
​
Overall, I love working there because I do like a heavy working environment, I'm not lazy. I also love some of the coworker dynamics going on. I also bring one thing to the table that others don't at my store and that is that I don't get stressed or frustrated (proabably has something to do with my ADHD but that's another can of worms.) I just really want to stop dreading going into work because I feel like I seem like more of a hinderance than help.
​
All in all, what I'm really trying to say is that I just wish I had a teacher or a mentor who taught me the drinks one by one so that I could write them down and study them. I've tried making study sets from the Starbucks website but they only tell you so much. The recipe cards in-store I never see because let's be honest, there is never free time to actually go look at them and study them.
​
In hot bar, what really makes me blank out is the number of pumps. Do you know what Starbucks rules feel like? It feels like this: "Okay so a caramel macchiato takes 5 pumps for a venti, unless it's iced, then it takes one more... but also remember that since it has caramel it takes one less... oh but you already added another sweetener that they asked for so it takes one less again, but because it is Tuesday, we're doing one extra... duh."
​
Cold bar is a lot easier for me because it is a lot more step-by-step. The only thing that still gets me is which drinks get layered and which ones get topped with and without drizzle. This is because different baristas will tell me different answers. So, I'll make it the way one barista told me to do it another day and then the drive through barista will dump it out making me do it again all the while the Frappuccino cups are piling up only to be sent to go do dishes.
​
Overall, I love working there because I do like a heavy working environment, I'm not lazy. I also love some of the coworker dynamics going on. I also bring one thing to the table that others don't at my store and that is that I don't get stressed or frustrated (proabably has something to do with my ADHD but that's another can of worms.) I just really want to stop dreading going into work because I feel like I seem like more of a hinderance than help.
FireBreathingCabbage 6 points 2y ago
A great way to remember pumps is to count on your fingers!
Short, Short, Tall, Grande, Venti, Venti (iced), Trenta
Whatever your finger lands on is the number of pumps!
You can remember that the caramel macchiato gets one less pump because the drizzle counts as a pump.
For shots:
-Venti iced gets more shots/syrup because there’s and extra 6 ounces of liquid (hot is 20 vs 26 iced)
-americanos and shaken espressos get the same # of shots!
Don’t let you coworkers stress you out! There’s sooo much information dumped onto you at once as a trainee and no one expects you to be a bar master right off the bat.
A great way to learn is to ask to be put on bar when it’s slow with a designated helper. Verbally confirm each step you are about to do before you do it so you can be corrected before any common mistakes become muscle memory. For example, “I’m going to add 4 pumps of vanilla!” or “I’m going to wipe and blow out the steam wand!”
Short, Short, Tall, Grande, Venti, Venti (iced), Trenta
Whatever your finger lands on is the number of pumps!
You can remember that the caramel macchiato gets one less pump because the drizzle counts as a pump.
For shots:
-Venti iced gets more shots/syrup because there’s and extra 6 ounces of liquid (hot is 20 vs 26 iced)
-americanos and shaken espressos get the same # of shots!
Don’t let you coworkers stress you out! There’s sooo much information dumped onto you at once as a trainee and no one expects you to be a bar master right off the bat.
A great way to learn is to ask to be put on bar when it’s slow with a designated helper. Verbally confirm each step you are about to do before you do it so you can be corrected before any common mistakes become muscle memory. For example, “I’m going to add 4 pumps of vanilla!” or “I’m going to wipe and blow out the steam wand!”
throwaway3456678 2 points 2y ago
Nobody ever told me about the syrup pumps on fingers trick and that just changed my whole world, what??? I wish someone would have taught me that trick as a green bean !!!!
-beam-me-up- 5 points 2y ago
Make yourself cup flashcards:
Grab a cup of each size, iced and hot
Write on the bottom of each of them pump #s and shot #s
Trenta P:7 S:0 (Nothing espresso comes in a trenta)
Venti iced P:6 S:3
Grande iced P:4 S:2
Tall iced P:3 S:1
Venti hot P:5 S:2
Grande hot P:4 S:2
Tall hot P:2 S:1
Short P:1 S:1
Go through these flashcups a couple times a day, mix them up, try to say it out loud before you look at the bottom of the cup, etc until you can go through it fully without looking. This helped me more than anything else ever did.
Always use the measuring cups for cold bar drinks.
When pouring out the non-dairy milks, open the cap just barely so it stops the milk from exploding out the front.
Keep an eye on what is low and when you have 2 whips left tell the CS. When you're low on anything tell them so they have it in their mind to get it to you. It's a little annoying when you're doing something as CS and someone yells "We need more vanilla sweet cream inmediately!"
Dont worry about speed yet. You'll get it with practice. Focus on what's in front of you.
When making drinks, try to keep in mind the sequencing you went through with training but dont focus on it. When making two frappuccinos, make the first, put it in the blender, make the second, put it in the blender and take the first to the cup.
When emptying frappuccinos into the cup, always hold the cup and shake the blender side to side rather than straight into the cup or itll all come falling onto the counter.
Dont be afraid to ask to go get water or go to the bathroom when you need to. Everyone needs to.
Dont forget about dishes. Even one small load in between cycles during CS are so helpful!
Station restock doesnt mean restock fridges and inclusions, it means lids, cups, the actual restock station itself, sleeves, stoppers, straws, napkins, etc.
I know it's a lot but hopefully you can come back here in a couple months and say "I know all this already"! And dont worry, it took me a year to figure all these out so take your time!
(PS, we dont get paid enough to deal with insistent Karen's so *when* a Karen comes in and gives you shit, turn your brain on sleep mode and nod and "Uh huh" till they've rung themselves out.")
Grab a cup of each size, iced and hot
Write on the bottom of each of them pump #s and shot #s
Trenta P:7 S:0 (Nothing espresso comes in a trenta)
Venti iced P:6 S:3
Grande iced P:4 S:2
Tall iced P:3 S:1
Venti hot P:5 S:2
Grande hot P:4 S:2
Tall hot P:2 S:1
Short P:1 S:1
Go through these flashcups a couple times a day, mix them up, try to say it out loud before you look at the bottom of the cup, etc until you can go through it fully without looking. This helped me more than anything else ever did.
Always use the measuring cups for cold bar drinks.
When pouring out the non-dairy milks, open the cap just barely so it stops the milk from exploding out the front.
Keep an eye on what is low and when you have 2 whips left tell the CS. When you're low on anything tell them so they have it in their mind to get it to you. It's a little annoying when you're doing something as CS and someone yells "We need more vanilla sweet cream inmediately!"
Dont worry about speed yet. You'll get it with practice. Focus on what's in front of you.
When making drinks, try to keep in mind the sequencing you went through with training but dont focus on it. When making two frappuccinos, make the first, put it in the blender, make the second, put it in the blender and take the first to the cup.
When emptying frappuccinos into the cup, always hold the cup and shake the blender side to side rather than straight into the cup or itll all come falling onto the counter.
Dont be afraid to ask to go get water or go to the bathroom when you need to. Everyone needs to.
Dont forget about dishes. Even one small load in between cycles during CS are so helpful!
Station restock doesnt mean restock fridges and inclusions, it means lids, cups, the actual restock station itself, sleeves, stoppers, straws, napkins, etc.
I know it's a lot but hopefully you can come back here in a couple months and say "I know all this already"! And dont worry, it took me a year to figure all these out so take your time!
(PS, we dont get paid enough to deal with insistent Karen's so *when* a Karen comes in and gives you shit, turn your brain on sleep mode and nod and "Uh huh" till they've rung themselves out.")
dazedandconfusedhere 5 points 2y ago
Check out $1 and look at the cheat sheet, third page!
Kind_Fox_951 [OP] 1 points 2y ago
Doesn't solve all my problems but it is definitely a tremendous help, thanks!
dazedandconfusedhere 5 points 2y ago
Lol that was supposed to attach as a link 😅 $1
BBurgess_03 3 points 2y ago
Hey there!
So.. literally, I know where you’re at. I’m about 2 months into working at Starbucks, I do hot/cold bar but 80% of the time I have to ask how to make something. I’ve been searching non stop for the beverage recipe, but failed to get anything that’s accurate (like it’s outdated info)
So I’m right there with you on being lost when making drinks. I’m sorry this comment was probably useless, but if I find something, I gotchu fam ☕️😂🤍
So.. literally, I know where you’re at. I’m about 2 months into working at Starbucks, I do hot/cold bar but 80% of the time I have to ask how to make something. I’ve been searching non stop for the beverage recipe, but failed to get anything that’s accurate (like it’s outdated info)
So I’m right there with you on being lost when making drinks. I’m sorry this comment was probably useless, but if I find something, I gotchu fam ☕️😂🤍
FfierceLaw 3 points 2y ago
deadlymeows 2 points 2y ago
You’re the literal best ! This is exactly what I needed ! Thank you from a green bean hired as a SM !
FfierceLaw 2 points 2y ago
Look for u/FireBreathingCabbage 's other posts, they have all kinds of BOH and prep sheets too, I believe they are an SSM, and they are soooo conscientious to make them right with Sbux. When they share, they take comments and make changes so I do trust them
FireBreathingCabbage 2 points 2y ago
Aw you’re so kind!
FfierceLaw 2 points 2y ago
You’ve help many GBs who trained in my store!
FfierceLaw 1 points 2y ago
Hi GB SM, here's another resource shared by a partner on Reddit $1 it keeps "real time" so when you are dating something you don't have to figure it out in your head. Hope you had a good day!
rio8envy7 2 points 2y ago
Talk to your SM. Most of it you learn and pick up as you go along but tell your Sm you feel like you need more training and that you feel you weren’t adequately trained.
This nonprofit website is run by volunteers.
Please contribute if you can. Thank you!
Our mission is to provide everyone with access to large-
scale community websites for the good of humanity.
Without ads, without tracking, without greed.
scale community websites for the good of humanity.
Without ads, without tracking, without greed.
©2023 HumbleCat Inc • HumbleCat is a 501(c)3 nonprofit based in Michigan, USA.