Barista

Introduction 

     Brewing a cup of coffee is not simple learning. A sincere heart, came together with a warm café. The whole soul of coffee comes from the master, barista. Barista is an Italian, referring to people who work behind bars, also meaning bartender or barman in English. Barista was called espresso puller before 1980  because the coffee machine at that time had a pull handle and most of the coffee machines after 1980 no longer had a pull handle, so the name of the bar master was from English Bartender. Barista refers to a barista, two or more men are called baristi, and women are bariste. (See reference 1)
     In Western countries, cafes are a must-be to go every day, and the barista is the souls of the cafes. In Italy, the barista not only needs to brew all kinds of coffee but also needs to interact with the guests and provide complete services. Therefore, the barista very particular care about the appearance of the clothes, daily new information, social economy, life. Popular, tasteful fashion needs to be involved and can chat with guests. In addition to a deep understanding of each type of coffee, they can be entertained at any time when the regular customers arrive at the store, so that the guests feel that the cafe is like a home. Their professional ability and craftsmanship has won many respects and applause.
     Recently, I have found that more and more people dream of becoming a barista. For them, the career of the barista represents an attitude and the insistence on their determination. The blending of coffee allows them to enjoy a tasteful life at work.

Job Description

     Based on the interview and various sources, I list daily routines of barista, who follow these rules and do all of the tasks every single day. Barista not only brew the coffee, but sometimes also sell a cup of coffee, grind the coffee bean, and clean or sanitize equipment, accessories, and supplies; prepare and serve a variety of coffee drinks, along with pastries and cookies. Make sure your coffee machine and equipment is set up before you open the shop, and all your brew methods are ready to go. Keep extra cups packed on top of the espresso machine and have spare filters to hand. It’s the extra efficiency here that will allow you to make truly special coffee. (See reference 2)
You should follow prescribed recipes and preparation techniques for coffee drinks, such as espresso, espresso lungo, caffe latte, and cappuccino. It could say that half of your tasks would be related to the preparation, in which you prepare the ingredient, order goods and materials, arrange the environment and review customers’ feedback to adjust your service and products. (See reference 3)

Advantages of being a barista

     Being the barista, you get to meet new and interesting people from everywhere, taste exceptional coffee every day, and encounter plenty of adventure at any time. As a professional barista, you never stop learning. There is always something new to discover and challenge. And the most important is you have to take responsibility for the customer to enjoy a cup of fragrant coffee. Depending on what type of store you work, you can choose to listen to some of your favorite music while working, boost your spirit and enjoy the comfortable environment. If you are a person who can’t sleep while drinking coffee, and when you come into work, don’t fear, this really benefits for you because you must taste many cups of coffee to make sure the smell of every coffee. If you would like to become an artist, you can learn how to make an impressive array of latte art. It’s sure this skill is hard to learn, so you can use the rest of your time to practice. When the opportunity comes, mixing different milks with various syrups and name it after yourself. This action sounds crazy, but in fact, maybe it becomes history in coffee history.
During off hours, you get to relax and enjoy your own peaceful time reading books or working out to enhance your body. In addition to these pros those I mentioned, being a barista is also a relaxing job, so you can recognize your co-workers deeper, and even socialize with your customers, not just trading relationship. As for the uniform, if you don’t like the traditional office-typed uniform, which you follow a strict dress code or don’t allow to have tattoos. You must be happy to wear what you want and express yourself freely.

Disadvantages of being a barista

     You have to get to the café early in the mornings to prepare the machines and the rest of the equipment and to taste the coffee to make sure it’s up to standard, all before the first customers arrive. Weekends and holidays are peak time, so the barista has no vacation if you don’t want to make money. It might get unbelievably busy when the shop starts, and become peaceful after half one day. In peak hours, you are overwhelmed with the orders and it could be quite stressful. Therefore, you must find a way to keep yourself calm and relaxed throughout the day and get enough rest before the next shift.
You could meet nice and friendly people while working, you also would get to rude and impatient ones too. You have to embrace all of the customers. These problems are common annoying things in the service industry.
Some people don’t know that 50% of a barista’s job is to clean. You have to keep your working area clean throughout the day, and after the work, you also clean the espresso machine as well as the other equipment used. 

Long-term career development 

Although the current society still forcibly instills the concept of "studying is the only way to success" among high school students, when they leave the society, they will find that studying is not all. It doesn't matter if you don't study at university. Just find your own interests and prepare for it, and build up your strength step by step. As long as you find your own interests and prepare for it, and slowly accumulate your own strength, one day you will get affirmation in this field. But don't take the escaping mentality because you hate to study. It is important to find what you like and then burn your enthusiasm in this field. No matter what you do, as long as you work hard, you will surely harvest sweet fruits.

Who suits this job?

     If you would like to be a barista, the first thing is you have to own a keen sense, so that you can identify the taste of the coffee. In addition to extracting coffee and making latte art, we must continue to absorb new knowledge, understand the flavors brought by different origins, processing techniques, baking depth, etc. A good barista knows how to put customers at ease, they stay friendly and chatty all day long, every day, and make a café feel like a home away from home, even at the end of a twelve-hour shift. Another important thing is flexibility. Because coffee shops can be a chaotic place. You should be open-minded and stay calm when you meet the problem customers. However, if the problem customer insults your personality, you could hit back to protect your own right. So, you have to know what can be done, and what can’t be done.

W
hat is the target customers of the coffee shop? What are the potential customers you want to find?

     The target customers are usually office workers who meet their clients. Some of them usually stay 2 to 3 hours, so the rate of replacement is quickly fast. And, there are some elder people spend their time. Elder people chat with their old friends in the afternoon. In fact, coffee lovers are the most people in the café. Coffee lovers who spend time in a café where they can enjoy the atmosphere. These people are not in a hurry. They prefer to sit and relax while drinking the coffee you’ve served them, perhaps have a little to the internet with them. So it’s important that if this is your key target market that your coffee shop be set up in a comfortable and inviting manner.

Reference



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