Yes, cause they do the same thing as an actual Starbucks but don’t have the support or resources as us.

Are any of us really baristas? Lol everything is automatic. All we do is add syrup milk and ice😂

I don’t consider any one who works at any Starbucks to be an actual barista

What is an "actual barista"? If it's someone who is underpaid that makes coffee or coffee-adjacent drinks for the public, then yes, they're actual baristas.

Who cares lmao

Are they baristas yes! Do they deserve better yes! Do I trust their training? No. Do I think they are well supported by Starbucks as a company? No. Do I think they have enough resources and benefits to be called the Starbucks barista? No. Is that Starbucks fault. Fuck yes! Do I think this can be fixed? Yes. Those baristas need more support. One thing that makes be sad is the fact we have a target between two of the busiest stores, yet they aren’t apart of that community! They aren’t able to use partner numbers to get the discount right? The most basic thing everyone barista is owed, if a freaking discount. Starbucks has flaws everywhere but this one is painful because Starbucks branding is that it’s a people first kinda company, yet here we are

As a former target sbux barista and currently a corp barista, they don’t have the exact same knowledge since licensed stores are a little less regulated but they could easily come to a corporate store and do just fine. So yes absolutely

This is some really reaching gatekeeping here. Do they operate an espresso machine for work or at home at a professional level? If so, sounds like they are baristas.

Barista: one who makes coffee 😌 Starbucks corporate store, licensed, or just some random coffee shop

yes, working inside a target or grocery store doesn’t matter

Worked at Starbucks for many years and switched to Target because they paid better. Take your skills where the money is!

Yes, they should be full on partners. They often get left to man a kiosk totally alone, having to ring, bar, warming, everything, by themselves. Frankly if I came in to zero other support in a corporate bux I’d call PCC and tell them I’m not working by myself. It’s the South, I’m very gay, like visibly so. I’m literally not safe closing by myself. They put up with shit we’d be able to refuse.

Yes. BUT I do not believe them to be trained properly enough to be considered like 100% STARBUCKS barista. They’re like 85% there (I just see so much inconsistency in training and ingredient use). And also not to mention, many of our TikTok “enemies” work at those locations so I have a little bit of bitterness. However, they are definitely still baristas. They do the job of a barista. A barista is just someone who makes coffee imo. Some stores have their own coffee shops inside and those people are baristas so why not the Starbucks baristas as well?

I worked at Target Starbucks as a lead for years. We did the same training, used the same products/machines, and were monitored by a district level Starbucks manager. Imagine everything the stand alone stores do in each of their roles. Now imagine you’re by yourself and you are responsible for everything. EVERYTHING. Yes the volume is substantially lower, but that doesn’t lessen the workload and prep work. Also no tips.

I am a SSV who got their start in Target. Those baristas work just as hard, if not harder, with none of the benefits and protections of starbucks. Starbucks barely supports us, but minor support is so much better than none. The only reason other baristas don't see them as the same is due to the fact they lack any of our benefits. Theyre the "other".

None of us really get to know what we're doing by working at Starbucks; it's just rotely following recipes to crank things out at a high volume. If anything your Target people at least get to take more time and put more care into it I think

Do they make cafe drinks??
Yes

Do they not also make coffee beverages??

i was a licensed barista for 1.5 years and i can say that the only difference between licensed and corporate is that the corporate rules and regulations are definitely 10x more supportive than the licensed side… and i am always twice as nice to the target/grocery baristas than i am to the corporate ones, cus the struggle is real.

the only difference is that y’all have it harder, make less money (probably) have less benefits, more entitled customers, less staff, are taught less minute details. starbucks is a whole in-depth community that you decide how deep you wanna delve into. it doesn’t make baristas at licensed stores any less valid. you feel me? i’m an ssv and i started at a grocery store.

if tarbucks, barnes and Nobel, etc Starbucks baristas aren’t baristas then neither are regular Starbucks baristas. They do the same exact thing as us

Baristas yes. Just not Starbucks baristas.

I work at large licensed store. When we opened, we had four weeks of training from a black apron barista/ store lead. I probably have as good of training as anyone in a corporate store. That said, training for licensed stores is spotty. It all depends on the circumstance.

coming from someone who works at both a tarbucks and a local coffee shop with a “manual” espresso machine, yes! anyone employed at starbucks that makes a drink is well deserving of the barista title. however, there are levels and skills that differ between starbucks baristas and traditional/authentic baristas

Of course they are, brothers/sisters on the Frontline with management that couldn't care less about how busy it is.

As a former partner and someone who visited Italy and had shots pulled manually and drinks crafted expertly by someone whose entire profession was influenced family generations of coffee makers, no, I don’t think what any of us ever did in what the stores’ current iteration could truly be classified under the work of a barista.

Of course.

Yes

Yes but not Starbucks baristas

Of course….

I worked at a Starbucks for 3 years as a barista trainer, now I just got hired at a Starbucks inside a Publix (grocery store). So, ye. Lol

Yea! They deserve the world :)

ehh it depends. cuz sometimes they be wild

i started at a campus one before i went corporate and yes, i consider all my old coworkers actual baristas, just a lot of us weren’t trained right because of the lack of resources (i’m guessing it’s the same for safeway, target, b&n, etc)

Well of course they are baristas. Just because someone doesn’t work at a company owned Starbucks store doesn’t make them not a barista. They are making and serving coffee based drinks, thus they are baristas.

Of course.

If my partner numbers don’t work no >:(

Jokes aside uhhh I mean it’s all the same. They still have to do the standard drinks recipe. They get rushes here and there. Still rude customers so yea I would say I consider them as actual Barista. Only that sucks they kind of get the short end of the stick :(

Yes.

Barista yes but a "starbucks barista" not entirely, or not the exact same experience as corporate vs kiosk

I have worked as a Starbucks barista at a licensed store within a SpartanNash grocery store for 10+ years and I can confirm that we are legit. While it is true that some licensed stores do not train their green beans as well as others, we perform the same tasks as corporate on a smaller scale. My store does not participate in mobile ordering (THANK GOD) and we are unable to let customers redeem stars on the mobile app. We are also paid much better than corporate baristas. With tips, I average anywhere between $17-$21/hour.

I would say yes, they still do the same things we do. They make coffee, and deal with people. So yes. They are baristas.

They still make coffee don’t they

i don’t really consider any of us baristas simply because we don’t know how to work espresso machines that aren’t superautomatic lol

that doesn’t mean we’re bad food service workers or whatever, we’re just not baristas

As a licensed store leader I feel that we are often held to a different standard than corporate stores. Our DM is constantly visiting to make sure that we are doing xyz to standard. There have been multiple locations around the area that have been help non compliant and shut down to retrain and hire new staff. With that being said we have seen exponential growth over the last year, nearly double the sales, because of guest that leave a corporate store because of inconsistencies in execution. Example; not knowing the quantity of shots in drinks, out of product, building drinks wrong, wrong amount of syrup in certain drinks/pump dosage (half vs full).

All in all every location stand alone or licensed has the potential to execute every aspect of of being a barista to the highest level. If that is happening depends on the leadership at the store, district and corporate levels. And the willingness of the "partners" to commit to excellence. It's not every everywhere and we all have our faults and make mistakes. We should support all aspects of the brand and help our fellow baristas do the best they can with the information that they have access to.

Yeah. We get the literal certification

no because they don’t get the benefits and make up stupid ass drinks

yes, with no hesitation. licensed stores receive less support too, and still persevere with the added stresses of being a starbucks!! you all are icons ❤️

Yes, why not?

As a former Starbucks Team Leader for a licensed store inside of a grocery store, I believe so.

At the end of the day, the tasks and work are the same. Food production and safety, customer service, operations and logistics. Sure, one type may be busier or have heavier traffic than the other, and being in a licensed store comes with work that may not be directly related to Starbucks, but that doesn't mean it isn't the same work.

​

Our big box store recently went through a full-store remodel, and I am still cool with the leader of the SB now. He told me that now that our licensed store is fully remodeled, they are consistently having higher sales and connection scores that then closest corporate store, which is literally across the intersection from the big box store. I have no reason to distrust this person so, it looks like the licensed team are killing it.

yes. i worked at one for about a year before i worked at a regular store. Same exact job

lmao yeah it’s not their fault they get garbage training, if any

I don’t consider Starbucks baristas “actual” baristas.

Everything is so automated and customized that a Starbucks barista would be lost on a bar at an “actual” coffeehouse.

No, cuz all they do is make some bs tik tok shit