I still panic when I get on bar. Just take a deep breath and go for it. I try to stay close to my green beans so I can be there for questions. That may mean being on bar 2 or whatever is closest to register. Ask questions, but also be confident in the knowledge you already have. Everyone still will ask a totally random question at least once a day, no matter how long you’ve been there. There is a lot of information to absorb, and it’s fine if you can’t memorize everything at once and then recall that information when you’re under pressure. Hang in there!

Don’t panic it’s overwhelming. Just focus on the drink at hand and beverage sequences. I always tell green beans try to have something going at all times. If your not sure ask. Also when your a reg look to the right it tells you how many pumps and everything all the drinks get so you can remember that ways too.

i love it when ppl ask me questions! i haven't been a partner for too long but i feel comfortable on bar bc i asked questions. but we all forget things, i sometimes forget that cappuccinos get one less pump just like caramel macchiatos. no one is 100% perfect on bar, you'll get there, no one was good at it their first month either.

i've been a partner for almost two years, and despite being on bar almost every shift, i still ask questions. it's not a bother if you have questions so ask away! in my own opinion (and if i were a customer this would be my opinion) i'd much rather have an unsure barista ask a question and make sure the drink is right instead of just guess and have it come out wrong.

also i know it's obviously way easier said than done but try to keep a certain pace that you are comfortable with while on bar, especially while you're learning. yes it's hectic but it helps keep your head clear when you're going at a pace you're comfortable with.

1.) Never feel bad about asking questions while on bar! Your trainer should have no problem answering them for you! I’ve trained 2 green beans and I would rather be asked 1,000 questions, be trained properly and be confident in the product that you are sending out!
2.) Something that helped me when I was new, was literally setting up a fake bar set up in my kitchen. If you can’t do this, Just going through the motions and steps in your head can help a ton! I thought I would never get the hang of bar but once you get the muscle memory down you will be just fine! Hang in there! You’ve got this!💕💕

If someone seems annoyed when you ask questions don’t stress it. They’re probably just as stressed as you are due to the nature of the job, and seeming annoyed can’t be helped in that type of work environment. I really doubt any of them hold it against you once the shift is over.

Let me be very vulnerable and say that as an SM, even I ask questions on bar! I tell my new partners that if you don't question this job for at least your first 3 months you're doing it wrong :) I'd rather have partners ask then to assume and do something way off base. Take a breath and remember...coffee is nothing more than roasted bean water. You'll get there. You got this!

I have a partner for almost 6 years. I would rather you ask then assume. Speaking of which I have a food allergy so I am a bit crazy about cross contamination

I was a partner for 3 years (248****). I still remember when I first started on bar, and even my first bar shift during peak. It's terrifying, you're messing up, and you ask a lot of questions. I was baffled that a Caramel Macchiato had vanilla syrup instead of caramel syrup. I had NO idea what a Crm Apl Spc was. I was constantly falling behind.

Breathe. I told all my trainees and the green beans this when they barred. Control your breathing, and remember:

Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.

Make the drink right, and make it in the first place, and you're already doing better. BR2 gets more natural as you get more used to it and sequencing cold drinks will start to settle in as well. It takes time and pain, but also effort on your side to learn, to change and grow and become better the next day. That's something I loved about Starbucks: other partners are SO much more supportive than other customer service chains. You're drowning in a ball of firey Fraps, crashing into Latte hell, yet your partners are patting you on the back saying you did a great job.

And you did. Keep it up [:

omfg i would never ever get annoyed if someone new is asking for help, bar time is soooo good for new baristas so they can learn and grow. i love helping them out !!! if someone gets annoyed that’s on them, not you

ask all the questions please!! we want you to learn. the first few months of me being on bar were a disaster and now I’m the one they call to bar during a rush. It just takes time. anything you’re confused or curious about ask!!! ask everything

Heck no I’d rather new partners get on bar and get that experience as often as possible. We all know how stressful bar can be, especially early on, and your team is there to support you.

It can definitely be overwhelming but as other people have said, take a deep breath and know that partners around you have most likely been in the same spot as you have. I’ve been at starbucks for almost 2 years and I still feel the same especially on bar. I’m sure you’re doing great and you’re only going to get better!

No way! I love helping green beans out cause I remember what it was like. And I'd rather them ask questions than having to remake drinks or have them end up consistently making a drink wrong. It's easier to fix now than later 💕

i don’t mind when people ask questions at all; it’s the only way to learn!! but sometimes when it is super busy i know i have a bad habit of sounding a little short/snippy/irritated, but it’s *never* because of baristas!! just the situation we get put in during those times and i often get in The Zone

My last time on bar I grabbed one of our iPads, it helped because not one sticker was “normal” I freeze at both the shaken espressos and cold brews, have no idea the shots/ pumps for shaken espressos and whether and how many and what kind of pumps for cold brew. Can’t things be more standard?

Ask. Questions. I'd much rather have my green beans learning and growing then struggling and making guesses. I remember when I got hired and I was told by my trainer to stop asking questions, because it made them nervous to let me on bar or on warming. You'll never learn if you aren't asking and making mistakes.

Always going to start slow, for me though it's all about the headspace -- if I'm able to zone out and stop paying attention to the line or how busy it may be, I do my best work when I stop feeling stressed and just remember that it's literally just coffee and you make the same regardless of what happens on your shift, stay calm ❤️

I am also very new to bar, but something that has made me feel more comfy is doing like- cafe/mobile bar next to someone doing drive thru bar, that way i can just check myself and be sure i’m doing everything correctly. Trust yourself! You got this!!

I'm just now a not so much green bean and with the greener beans and they apologize for asking questions, I always say I'd rather you ask than to do it wrong and then the customer gets mad about an honest mistake. It saves us all a lot of grief if you just ask.

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I remember my first time on bar was horrible and during a morning peak. Biggest thing that pops out was getting frustrated with myself for putting whip on a coffee frap and yell fuck too loud lol. It gets better and honestly we would rather you ask questions and make it right rather than not asking and making it wrong, making a bad habit of it. After some time it'll become muscle memory so it might take a second for some of us to remember it.

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