Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
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taste test?? (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by Emobunny223
hi!! i’m getting hired at starbucks and i’ve noticed some people talk about taste testing during training? i’m having EXTREME anxiety over it due to being in the stages of recovery from anorexia. i just learned this after being hired, and i know this doesn’t seem stressful but i really struggle with unmeasurable liquid calories. what was your experience with it?
Babs9220 10 points 1y ago
There are no taste tests, just coffee tastings usually paired with a portion of a pastry. You can always pass on the food, but they do like you to know how to describe the coffees, so still pay attention in those meetings. Coffee is like barely any calories though.
Emobunny223 [OP] 8 points 1y ago
thank you!😭 i’m working on getting better with my relationship with food, but little unknowns like that always trip me up! i appreciate your insight making my fear of unknown feel a little better <3
esaeklsg 3 points 1y ago
Yeah, there's not really any required eating or anything. Just make sure you ask your coworkers how they like various food items, etc, so you can give descriptions to customers. You probably want to think about if or how much you want to disclose to coworkers if there's group sampling of new drinks and food along the way yada yada just so you aren't caught on the spot. (You can of course just decline, might just get some friendly questions, etc, and might be better to think how you want to handle that)
Babs9220 3 points 1y ago
Of course! I have horrible anxiety, so knowing more is always better for me too. And good luck on getting better with that stuff :)
cannabitchhhh 2 points 1y ago
yeah i am diabetic and i was allowed to pass on the food tasting. just talked about the flavor/body/smell of coffee.
Exhausted_mama93 7 points 1y ago
When I was a trainer I would always offer the drinks we were making to the barista being trained so that they could just have an idea of flavors and such incase a customer asks, but it’s 100% up to you in that situation to drink or not. And it’s always just a sip, not like you have to drink the whole thing. You probably will have to taste the black coffees when you learn brewing techniques, but again, just a sip and like someone said above there’s barely any calories in black coffee. And with all that said, you can always talk to your manager and trainer about your concerns and they’ll accommodate as needed!
Emobunny223 [OP] 2 points 1y ago
thank you!! i was just wanting to be prepared, i’m a very hard worker it’s just my relationship with food that’s the issue haha
Exhausted_mama93 2 points 1y ago
I totally get it! I haven’t dealt with the same struggles personally, but two of my sisters faced anorexia so I’ve seen it first hand. Proud of you for working through it and knowing your triggers. I hope you continue to be strong and have a healthy relationship with food!
she_who_walks 3 points 1y ago
Also, know that the “sample” you’re getting is maybe 2oz of liquid, and will be black coffee, which is typically 5-10 calories for 16 oz.
she_who_walks 3 points 1y ago
Don’t stress about it at all! It’s not an actual “test” per say. Yes, you’ll taste coffees, but the questions you’ll be asked are more to do with how/ what YOU taste in the coffee. Some people have very sensitive palettes, some do not but no matter where you fall on the spectrum it will not affect your ability to do the job. Either way, you just learn the roasts and the different notes they contain. Regardless of if you can taste the differences or not, you’ll be able to talk about them just fine. (Ask for a coffee passport! It has SO much info on all the different roasts and you can use it for reference later!!) You’ve for this, don’t stress about it at all😊
-A SSV
Feel free to DM me if you have questions!
-A SSV
Feel free to DM me if you have questions!
Emobunny223 [OP] 1 points 1y ago
thank you😭😭 i really needed the reassurance and just a heads up so it’s not such a shock factor for me 🤍
Poptart0911 2 points 1y ago
As others said, it shouldn't be an issue, but if ever needed, lie and say you're keto or something lol if you still get pressured, say it's for health reasons
anna_the_nerd 2 points 1y ago
I am curious about this also, I am not supposed to drink coffee for medical reasons, and if I do it can make me really sick. I’d like to apply to Starbucks when I go back to school, but if this is a requirement then I can’t.
meowdrian 1 points 1y ago
If it’s the caffeine that’s a problem they can always do a tasting of a decaf coffee for you, or if it’s actually the coffee itself, they can do tea tastings in place of the coffee. In the beginning it’s really just to teach you about the steps for how to do a proper tasting.
But like someone else already mentioned, you’re not required to drink anything there, especially if it’s for medical/health reasons. You’ll just need to learn how to describe the differences between roasts to customers, so if you study the coffee passport or at least pay attention when you’re being trained you’ll be fine.
But like someone else already mentioned, you’re not required to drink anything there, especially if it’s for medical/health reasons. You’ll just need to learn how to describe the differences between roasts to customers, so if you study the coffee passport or at least pay attention when you’re being trained you’ll be fine.
ketchupsnumberonefan 1 points 1y ago
Late reply but I was in your same position. I lied and said I was vegan to get out of having to try the pastries. I was also scared of the coffee bc I don’t like coffee so I may or may not have fake sipped it.
Emobunny223 [OP] 1 points 1y ago
yeah it wasn’t a very good environment for me unfortunately :( just a lot of calorie talk and i just can’t take having that engraved into my brain after working on myself for so long😭 i hope all goes well with you though!! good luck on your recovery <3
ketchupsnumberonefan 1 points 1y ago
Ugh I’m sorry they talked about calories! Luckily there’s been basically no calorie talk at my store in the 3 weeks I’ve been here. I hope you find a better fit soon <3
Downtown0317 1 points 1y ago
There used to be offsite training with all of this when my mom worked at the bucks years ago, I wanna say 2004-2005? Maybe.
taybeggs 1 points 1y ago
I was anxious about this when I first started training, too. They don’t make you taste anything, and if they do, it’s straight black coffee. I’m also in the early and uncomfortable stages of recovery, so I just want to remind you that you’re strong for this :)
interstatelovesong17 1 points 1y ago
I think its optional, when i was training on bar my trainer would ask me if i wanted a sip of the drinks i was making to get an idea of how they tasted etc but if i didn't want to i didnt have to
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