Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
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How do I improve at warming? (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by leoperidot16
What the title says. I've worked at Starbucks for a few weeks, but I can't seem to get the hang of warming. For reference, I work at a fairly busy store with a very active drive-thru. During weekday peaks we usually have two people on warming, but not other times.
I get really overwhelmed when there's more than a couple tickets. I don't know how to prioritize or sequence items best. And I always seem to burn myself, drop food getting it out of the ovens, struggle getting the food out of the plastic bags, or otherwise screw up.
I feel really bad because earlier today when I was on warming alone, it got so backed up that my shift had to step in to help me, and I fucked up our drive window time by a lot. I even had to run to the back in the middle of a rush because I burned my hand.
My shift was trying to give me advice, but it wasn't anything I hadn't heard before: Try to always have the ovens busy, put stuff in together if it can be warmed together, and do the things that don't need to go in the ovens while you're waiting for food to come out of the ovens. I know what I'm supposed to do, I just feel like I'm really, really bad at it, and I'm not getting any better.
It makes me feel really defeated. Like, I'm still not great at bar, but at least I feel like I'm learning and I know what to improve on. With warming, it's so deceptively simple that I just don't see how I can get better if I already know *how* the process works.
I get really overwhelmed when there's more than a couple tickets. I don't know how to prioritize or sequence items best. And I always seem to burn myself, drop food getting it out of the ovens, struggle getting the food out of the plastic bags, or otherwise screw up.
I feel really bad because earlier today when I was on warming alone, it got so backed up that my shift had to step in to help me, and I fucked up our drive window time by a lot. I even had to run to the back in the middle of a rush because I burned my hand.
My shift was trying to give me advice, but it wasn't anything I hadn't heard before: Try to always have the ovens busy, put stuff in together if it can be warmed together, and do the things that don't need to go in the ovens while you're waiting for food to come out of the ovens. I know what I'm supposed to do, I just feel like I'm really, really bad at it, and I'm not getting any better.
It makes me feel really defeated. Like, I'm still not great at bar, but at least I feel like I'm learning and I know what to improve on. With warming, it's so deceptively simple that I just don't see how I can get better if I already know *how* the process works.
Key-Ferret4077 28 points 11m ago
I always separate the stickers. I put the mobiles up on the top and drive/cafe on the bottom. Prioritize drive and cage then get to mobiles when you can. That's always helped me. It's gonna take some time to get in the groove.
gingergal-n-dog 6 points 11m ago
I do this and it works the best.
It helps to think about what can go together, what can go in next and what has longer/ quicker cook time.
Communicate what you need like food run down and help refills of cream cheese or pastry bags.
It helps to think about what can go together, what can go in next and what has longer/ quicker cook time.
Communicate what you need like food run down and help refills of cream cheese or pastry bags.
Key-Ferret4077 5 points 11m ago
This 100%. Communication is key when it comes to warming! My old manager taught me this trick and it has helped me so much!
ladysingtheblues 23 points 11m ago
Tbf there's only so fast you can go with that even at peak performance
Chub-boat 11 points 11m ago
The best way to do it for drive times is make sure you're listening on the headset to get food in ASAP, it helps a lot. Also there should be a front/support partner to run food for you so you can focus on your ovens. Always have something ready to go in, when the timer goes off grab your new food that needs to go in with the tongs, put it in, THEN grab the food that's been warmed out. It really helps shave a little time off. Also developing a muscle memory for where all your foods are helps!!
Responsible_Snow7109 3 points 11m ago
I work at a cafe/mobile store so im not used to the crazy constant flow of a drive thru. This past christmas, i worked at a drive thru store and i told them im very nervous and that I've never worked at a drive-thru store before and they put me on ovens without a headset so I was panicking internally because the one printer had Cafe orders and mobile orders and drive-thru orders coming out of it and I had to pull a bunch of stickers just to get to the cafe ones all because they didn't give me a headset even though I told them I've never worked at a drive-thru before and that I was very nervous
Chub-boat 6 points 11m ago
I feel like that's not setting you up for success, my store probably would have put you on cafe/mobile bar because a headset is way less important there & you can easily get by without one. Warming without a headset is hard!!
Responsible_Snow7109 2 points 11m ago
Yes at my cafe/mobile store, im the 2nd fastest barista on bar. So if im not guna get a headset, they could have atleast put me on cafe/mobile bar like u said. I was beside myself that i didnt get one and still was placed on warming! Like it was Christmas! There were tons of people ordering food thru all the channels especially drive thru so i just was like huhh?? Lol
Kitabparast 10 points 11m ago
Focus on drive thru and café. If a mobile customer comes in the store or at the drive thru, their order gets promoted accordingly.
Also, slow down. I know that sounds counterintuitive but the more I rushed, the more mistakes I made, especially dropping food (which slows everything down because I have to re-warm a fresh item).
You’ll develop a flow, a system, a groove.
Also, slow down. I know that sounds counterintuitive but the more I rushed, the more mistakes I made, especially dropping food (which slows everything down because I have to re-warm a fresh item).
You’ll develop a flow, a system, a groove.
DustbinFunkbndr 3 points 11m ago
Biggest thing for me was knowing exactly where everything is. At my store this could move around a little bit depending on who stocked the shelves. I would always take a couple minutes at the start of my shift to get my bearings. After that the biggest thing is just trying to take advantage of any downtime while your ovens are in use. Never just stand there. Even if all you do is grab something and set it out, that gets you closer to getting the next items going.
Just keep moving and stay calm. You got this
Just keep moving and stay calm. You got this
Necessary_Low939 3 points 11m ago
Put three items in there. Even if it’s not all the same sandwiches or pastries. Ex: Coffee cake and a brownie together can warm equally.
Beautiful-Director 8 points 11m ago
This is the way 😶🌫️🤫
Necessary_Low939 4 points 11m ago
👀👀
ReviewPublic6746 2 points 11m ago
Try to always keep an oven open for drive during peak
badatlife15 1 points 11m ago
I’ve been a barista for a little over 2 years and there are still days ovens get overwhelming. I read through other comments and haven’t seen anyone else say this, but especially when I was new I would struggle so much getting the food packages open, like you mentioned. I always felt like I was the only one who struggled with that, so you’re not alone!! If your store’s DTO isn’t already doing this, it’s very helpful if DTO communicates what’s needed in drive for the next few orders, that way you can hear what’s coming up. I tend to prioritize it to this order drive thru > cafe > mobiles/deliveries. Once someone’s there for a pickup they’ll get moved up. When I first started I would take the stickers off the machine and stick them on the shelves, but a few months in a shift told me to take the sticker and put it directly onto the bag, while initially this seemed to slow me down, I find it to be helpful and when I see others doing it my old way, I notice things tend to get missed or things get made twice because it gets sent over without a sticker. We only have one food sticker machine at my store, so I will occasionally stick non drive thru orders up there if drive is really busy and need to skip over a mobile order, but otherwise putting the sticker on the bag directly seems to save time and also keep me more organized as far as what’s in the oven.
sero5074 1 points 11m ago
you’ve been there a few weeks. no one expects you to be a rockstar. but if you aren’t getting any better by month 3 or just feel like you aren’t getting better and don’t want to mess up drive times or whatever, talk to your SM, barista trainer, or SSV during quiet/slow times and be like “hey, could you show me how to do ovens in a beneficial way?” whatever type of learner you are, have a seasoned partner help you with it. when i worked there during slow times i’d ask a barista trainer to go over the steps of steaming milk cuz i felt like i couldn’t do it right. i had several people show me over the months i worked there and one day it just clicked and i did it excellently afterwards. it’ll be okay, practice practice and more practice.
KiwiBeginning4 1 points 11m ago
If you have that many stickers then there's normally a 2nd person to help. You aren't bad you just need help which is perfectly fine
bellamythos 1 points 11m ago
so I’ve been a barista for a full year and I’m great at bar, but honestly, I still get a little overwhelmed when warming gets busy. it does get better, but I’m right there with you - warming is deceptively difficult.
I don’t work at a DT store so this may not be practicable for you, but if you’re solo warming and getting overwhelmed, would it be possible for you to limit the number of stickers you pull at a time? like another comment said, it’s counterintuitive to slow down, but I’ve found that for me it’s ultimately faster to focus on just the next, say, 5-7 food items (as opposed to freezing or panicking because I don’t know which of the 20 stickers I should work on next); this also helps with the feeling of overwhelm, which can contribute to burning yourself and dropping food.
from there, it’s just sequencing, as you already know how to do; there are only so many ovens and the in-oven times are preset. as you get faster and more confident, it becomes easier to increase your speed by pulling more stickers at once and strategizing. (this also works on bar, btw!)
most importantly, remember to give yourself some grace - you said you’ve only been a barista “for a few weeks”, and clearly you care to learn and improve if you’re asking for help!
I don’t work at a DT store so this may not be practicable for you, but if you’re solo warming and getting overwhelmed, would it be possible for you to limit the number of stickers you pull at a time? like another comment said, it’s counterintuitive to slow down, but I’ve found that for me it’s ultimately faster to focus on just the next, say, 5-7 food items (as opposed to freezing or panicking because I don’t know which of the 20 stickers I should work on next); this also helps with the feeling of overwhelm, which can contribute to burning yourself and dropping food.
from there, it’s just sequencing, as you already know how to do; there are only so many ovens and the in-oven times are preset. as you get faster and more confident, it becomes easier to increase your speed by pulling more stickers at once and strategizing. (this also works on bar, btw!)
most importantly, remember to give yourself some grace - you said you’ve only been a barista “for a few weeks”, and clearly you care to learn and improve if you’re asking for help!
bellamythos 1 points 11m ago
after reading through some of the other comments: if your stickers for multiple channels (DT, mobile, cafe) all print from the same printer, you still could organize them as you pull (eg DT/cafe together, mobiles together) and stop once you have, say, 5-7 DT/cafe orders to focus on. then depending on the distribution, either do the mobiles or pull some more stickers to keep prioritizing DT/cafe
FlowerCurious581 1 points 11m ago
My advice it to focus on one order at a time, if one order has 3 food items cook those first before trying to combine stuff from other orders, wasting time looking around everywhere and everything is a chaotic mess will make it take longer. Try to be as organized as possible and methodical, work like clockwork.
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