cafe112 wrote:
There are alot of coffee makers out there but no barista.
If you find someone that can make a good coffee then you have a great starting point - then the next step is to assess their attitudes towards becoming a talented barista. It's all about the attitude (I'm I'm talking about a positive, a desire to be a great barista and whether they have the right mental approach). Great barista's are nurtured, developed and rewarded - many dream of owning their own cafe, so don't expect them to hang around longer than 2 years. A few of my customers under-pay their barista's, or treat them very poorly and it's no wonder they struggle to find someone who is willing to perform at a high level consistently. Think of it like a coach of a competitive team - talent is an asset and therefore needs to be considered in the context of investment to acquire, improve and maintain. Look for someone who enjoys compliments from customers and can also deal with complaints professionally and finally pay them a decent wage with bonuses for higher performance levels. The person who is pestering you to get behind the espresso machine - whether it's another staff member or someone looking for a job can be an absolute golden opportunity if you take the right measures to coach and develop them.
