Counter Culture Coffee is looking to learn more about career sustainability in the coffee industry with their new project, Baristatainability.
BY ASHLEY RODRIGUEZ
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
Photo by James Connolly on Unsplash
Baristatainability might sound like a mouthful, but it’s the name of the newest project from Counter Culture Coffee (CCC). As part of their Professional Development series, where they host events and workshops for coffee folks at their training centers nationwide, the project is compiling information with the goal of learning more about career sustainability within the coffee sector.
“This quarter we are focusing on barista sustainability with the goal of better understanding how to create positive and sustainable professional working environments for baristas,” says Jenna Gotthelf, a member of the CCC team in New York City. “We are collecting data via a series of surveys for baristas, managers/trainers, and program directors/owners and will be presenting them in the ProDev [professional development] at all of our regional training centers at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, June 12.”
The goal of the surveys is to better gauge where folks are in the coffee industry and brainstorm ways to make the industry stronger. “We are trying to create a better, more sustainable industry, so we need to take the time to listen to what baristas experience and need. There are millions of people working as baristas globally; all of them are integral parts of the coffee supply cycle,” Jenna says.
“Baristas wake up before the sun rises, backflush in the moonlight, and are at the forefront of coffee service. Our goal in this ProDev is to collect data through surveys and interviews to better understand how to create positive and healthy working environments for baristas. Our hope is that these findings will help improve the quality of life for baristas by serving as insight into how to best accommodate this role in the supply cycle,” Jenna adds.
In an industry where turnover is treated as natural and career development can seem difficult, this survey hopes to shine a light on the issues affecting baristas. Ideally, this survey will highlight issues that often go overlooked or are missed by leaders, and give people tangible data and evidence to work with to make the coffee industry more sustainable.
The survey is currently live, and you can take it now—there are different portals for baristas, shop managers and trainers, and owners and operators—it took me less than five minutes to answer all the questions. The survey closes on May 5, and the folks at CCC will present their findings at training centers across the nation on June 12.
