The life of a barista

MANILA, Philippines - Baristas are currently in demand both locally and internationally due to a steady increase in the number of coffee shop franchises across the globe.

The skills required of a barista include knowledge in making, mixing and inventing different coffee concoctions. For most coffee shop brands, coffee-preparation is an art and these companies expect their baristas’ competencies to go beyond knowing how to use the coffee machine.

“For starters, a good barista can pull a decent shot of espresso,” so says Gloria Jeans Coffees operations manager Mike Lunar. “He or she can create Cappuccino foam that won’t easily dissipate. A barista knows the perfect balance of espresso and latte, can play around with latte art and do a lot of creative tricks with your coffee and still manage to serve them with utmost speed and style.”

At Gloria Jeans Coffees, the only prerequisite for barista applications is passion for coffee. Lunar explains, “First of all, they must love coffee. That’s all we need. It doesn’t matter if the applicants are newbies. We will train them.”

All Gloria Jeans Coffees barista applicants go through a four-day classroom training followed by actual application in their stores. Here, the students get the lowdown on coffee and tea such as its history, varieties and modes of preparation. The training also inculcates in the students the values of serving great products backed by excellent service. “The creed of the company is to build relationships one cup at a time. To attain that, it is critical that we remain uncompromising in terms of quality and employ outstanding consistency in our products and services,” he emphasized.

Therefore, Lunar adds, Gloria Jeans Coffees baristas are expected to be passionate about their work, loving every nuance of coffee service. They must establish a connection with their customers right from the order taking and employ this distinct personalized service up to the moment when the barista serves the cup at the customer’s table — ideally within two minutes max.

For Gloria Jeans Coffees, being a barista is not a mere job but a career that is personally satisfying. And it’s even rewarding. Lunar explains, “At Gloria Jeans Coffees there is a career path for baristas. If qualified, he or she can be eventually promoted to supervisor then store manager.”