Go at your own pace, no matter how slow, and remember that everyone was learning once. Starbucks puts a lot of pressure on speed but if you go to fast and mess things up, you will have to redo everything and it’ll be even slower. People may get impatient but remember that in the big picture, it’s just one day that they had to wait an extra minute or two for their coffee. No big deal. No one will even remember after today. Remembering drinks is really just all about practice. When you are put on bar, as you pull the stickers walk yourself through the drink in your head. If you’re unsure or don’t remember how to make something, ask. No one will be annoyed at you for asking, and if they are then they are an asshole. Guarantee they would be more annoyed if you don’t ask and make something wrong and then have to deal with a cranky customer. It’s also 100% okay to let customers know that you’re new and still learning. If customers are piling up in the cafe and looking annoyed, just say something like “I apologize for the wait. I’m new and still learning how to make some drinks. I appreciate everyone’s patience and am getting your drinks out as quickly as I can!” Saying something like this generally softens people up because how can they be mad at someone who is learning? Main thing is just don’t stress yourself out too much! You got this and it’s okay to ask for help and make mistakes!

i just finished my third shift after training. i definitely struggled with my anxiety getting in the way of things. it’s so easy to feel anxious and overwhelmed when there’s so many orders and so many things to remember.

• remind yourself it’s just drinks. it’s just food. you’re fine.

• the most important thing is to keep your head clear and steady.

• slow and accurate is better than fast and inaccurate.

• study cheat sheets. study quizlets. but don’t beat yourself up for not knowing things. you can only learn so much online, practice and repetition are the most effective teachers.

• i keep little post-its in my apron pocket. i wrote down the date dots, the shots/pumps that go into hot, iced, and blended drinks.

• i also took pics of my online training modules. if i was on POS later that day i would look back at pics i took of the register and familiarize myself with it, working on what i struggled with.