hi! i’ve been a trainer since july of last year & here’s what i’ve gather after training 10+ people in the last couple of months.


• be patient with yourself & them, yes anyone who is new can get stressed out from the work but so can YOU, if you need to step back for a second & collect yourself, do so.

• remember that this individual doesn’t have the background information you do, explain even the most simple aspects of the job. from the buttons on the espresso machines to the names of each backup, just explain.

• make “guide notes”, when i was still learning i had a shift who made me a 2 pager on espresso bar & cold bar, it was truly so helpful (and i still have it after 18 months of working at sbux :))

• give them, “homework”, ask them to go into the app & pick out two drinks they would like to make themselves/try out, it helps them learn the names of menu items & looking forward to something too :)

•talk about things other than work while on break & make jokes with them

• make a little handshake/non-verbal signal that will allow them to tell you things are getting frustrating or too much, without needing to explain or say it

•your priority is your trainee always, if they need a break, take it. it doesn’t matter if the whole store is on fire & you two are the only people who can save it, you take the break

these little things have helped me not only make the experience a bit more personal but it allowed for the person to also feel like they have a friend with them :)

Don't let the shift in charge step on your toes or step into your training time. They cannot ask you to "help out" unless you are ready to help and your training plan now calls for it.

When going to beverage crafting, sitting down for 5-10 minutes lining up the cups from smallest to biggest (tall-Trenta) really helps gain a grasp as to why a venti iced gets more syrup and espresso than a venti hot, and it makes the pump and shots easier to memorize

First off, CONGRATULATIONS! I’ve been a barista trainer since December, and I was hired-in in August with NO KNOWLEDGE WHATSOEVER in being a barista, but here’s some tips I could give:

Always ask questions: after discussing a subject you’re going to be teaching the trainee, ask them what they’re thinking, ask how they’re doing, ask how they feel about it, and most of all, ask them what they feel from you. Do they feel you’re going too fast? Too slow? Doing alright? Are they nervous? Or they pumped? Feedback is very important!😊

Get creative: is your barista trainee a visual, verbal, or hands on learner? Get creative with what you believe can work for whichever scenario! Something I did a lot with my trainee, is I would draw pictures and props for them explaining and slightly showing how to do certain things, like steam milk. I also did a diagram of how pumps, milks, whipped cream, teas, and shots are layers in different drinks.

Take as much time as you can with your trainee: I did SO MANY coffee tastings with my barista trainee, it was hilarious! The reason why I did that though, was because I felt it was helpful with transiting from one subject to another as my trainee didn’t have any coffee experience before. They did say it helped a lot! It also helps with them to decompress a little, settle down, relax, get to know each other a little more. Always a fun time!

And lastly, and something I feel can be hard,

Critique efficiently: don’t be afraid to point out they did something wrong. Example, steaming milk, if they don’t do it completely right the first time, it doesn’t hurt to say “okay that’s good, better than I did when I first started. You’re on the right track, however I recommend we do…. So and so” just make sure you’re communicating in a way where you’re honest, open, and not harsh. Like you SOUND like you’re proud of them for doing it, but share effectively that it can also be improved, and share a lot of HOWS AND WHYS, those are big ones to think of in a lot of situations, because people are most likely to hang onto information when there’s a WHY to a lot of things. Be sure to think of things you may have struggled with when you first started, and think of how you can improve that? How can you teach it, where you could’ve been taught in that way to help you out?

Now Lastly Lastly,

Have fun with it! You’ll do great!