How long does it take you to train a barista? Starbucks seems to think a few hours one afternoon ought to do it. See the post below, copied from the Chicago Tribune’s blog, The Stew:
“Starbucks has announced it will close its almost 7,100 company-owned stores across the country on Feb. 26 for several hours so it can bring its employees back up to speed on creating a perfect shot and steaming milk and pulling it all together for a great drink. The barista re-education is a “renewed focus on espresso standards,” say Starbucks honchos.”
Let’s see if Britney can tell the difference…
At the college where I teach, we do 9 x 2 hour practical courses and a 2 hour theory and a 2 hour practical and written examination at the end.
That is a basic barista qualification….L1.
Emily 🙂
I’ve heard about this. I think I’ll ask a Starbucks barista about her experiences with the training when it’s finished. On average, though, it takes at least one FULL day to have a barista just barely trained to the point of being able to serve consistently acceptable drinks. I prefer two full days, generally(with plenty of note-taking supplies on hand), and even longer for those who want to go beyond the basics. Among the changes that I’ve heard so far: 19 second extractions (up from 13-17sec.). I used to pull them at 26 seconds when I was a green-apron-wearer. That alone is going to be a big improvement. We’ll see.