Barista Interview Questions -Know More

Who doesn’t love a warm cup of coffee in the mornings or while going to work or school, and baristas make these coffees for us? The work itself does not require many qualifications except for your coffee making and customer skills. let’s get to know about Barista Interview Questions.

But even if you are going to a Barista interview, you must prepare for it so that you can give the best answers. Though the interview would focus more on your work skills, it is better to prepare for everything that you could encounter in the interview.

How Can You Prepare For A Barista Interview?

An interview in general is something that you must prepare for before you walk into it. And if you are new to the whole interviewing process, then preparation becomes even more essential to you. If you have to give a Barista interview, then you have to understand which aspects will come in the interview. If you look at some of the questions that usually occur, you can know which information you must prepare before entering the interview. But before we look at all the questions that could come in your Barista interview, let us see some other aspects you must take care of.

You can follow a few tips to prepare better for your Barista interview and not fumble on the big day:

• Brush up your knowledge of coffee and all the other things taught to you. Even though you might already know about the various beverages and other things, you must revise the concepts again. You have to recall your knowledge before the interview itself since it will prove to be helpful. You would certainly have to answer many questions related to the coffee or beverages you will be making. So you can refer to your old book or the internet and brush up on the knowledge you have.

• Research information about the café or the firm you are interviewing for. In interviews, you often get questions like “Why do you want to work here?” And the same goes for barista interviews too since you might get asked what you like about the firm or café. So you need information about the café or firm to be able to answer the firm-related questions. They could also ask you about their menu items so you can also find out about them.

• Write sample answers to the questions you research in your own words. When you refer to the questions in our list or any other interview questions, you can write your answers for them. By doing so, you can prepare even better for the interview and handle the questions if they come in the interview. And do not rely solely on the sample answers given with the questions. Ensure that you alter or rewrite the answer and customize it according to you.

• Practice answering the sample questions you have researched in front of a mirror. Once you have formed a few answers to your questions, you must begin practicing them. Especially for people who are giving an interview for the first time, the procedure might be new and daunting. So you must practice how you will answer before you enter the interview. Doing it in front of the mirror will also give you an idea of your posture, confidence, and other factors.

• Have confidence in yourself and keep yourself calm and collected through the interview. Interviews can be intimidating for anyone, even to people who have gone through them many times. So the key to acing your interview is preparing well but still maintaining your confidence throughout your interview. If you lose confidence in yourself and answer timidly, the employer would not be as impressed. So you must keep your tone managed and speak with utmost confidence and believe in yourself.

General Questions

Like most other interviews, barista interviews also have many general questions that remain common or at least similar throughout most interviews. You would get some questions from these general questions that you would have to answer.

These questions are usually related to your details or the work that you may have done. Since they only require you to talk about basic information, you can easily form the answers to these even on the spot.

We have compiled some of the most frequently occurring questions in barista interviews that have a general template:

1. I have your resume here, could you highlight the main points for me?

2. Do you have previous experience in making coffee or other beverages professionally?

3. Have you ever worked in another job that requires customer interaction before?

4. What are the strengths that you have while at work?

5. What are the weaknesses that you have while at work?

6. How have you been trained in creating beverages?

7. How long have you been training or making beverages?

8. Do you like drinking coffee yourself?

9. Which other skills do you have that are relevant to this position?

10. Can you manage the counter and do basic transactions?

Barista Interview Questions Regarding Work Experience

The work of a Barista is more practical and understandably so, hence, the questions directed at candidates would also include the more practical aspects. So apart from the general questions, you would get, you would also get asked about practical questions.

These can range from the drinks you have to make to how to handle customers and other things. It is these questions that are technical and you must pay extra attention to them so that you can answer them with ease.

We have compiled some of the questions that the employer can ask you about the work so that you can get an idea of it. We have also explained why the question is asked to you and how you can answer it as well.

1. Can you mention every menu item that you can make as of now?

Asking about the menu items you can create is a must for employers as it shows your range. You can tell the employer about the general menu items that you can make and even add in some special or unique menu items that you can also create.

2. What is one specialty coffee that you make?

Every barista has a special coffee that they specialize in making for the customers. You can tell them about the drink that you make which seems unique and delicious to your customers. If you have not worked in any cafes yet, you can say so as well, so that you’re honest with the employer.

3. What is one specialty beverage that you make?

Apart from just coffee, there are plenty of other beverages for people who dislike caffeine. You can tell the employer about any not caffeinated beverage like lemonade, iced tea, and more to answer this question.

4. Do you have experience in handling the counter while also fulfilling orders?

Many baristas work invades where they make the drink while they also receive the orders and process payments of the customer. Not every Barista needs to know how to do this, so you can tell your employer honestly if you cannot do so.

5. Have you previously made or learned coffee art?

Coffee art is a more luxurious thing that you learn while training for a Barista, so you might have heard of it. Again, this is not a necessary skill and you can tell the employer honestly if you are only average and cannot make dramatic designs.

6. Can you also manage the maintenance of the coffee machines you will be using?

One of the most underrated yet essential skills of a Barista is cleaning up their workstations and the machines alike. You must have learned how to do so in training, and if you’re unsure about it, answer this honestly to your employer so that they can instruct you.

7. Do you have prior experience in handling customers and their orders?

Some baristas do take orders while also making coffee, and some never have to deal with customers at all. If the firm is seeking an all-rounder candidate, then having that skill is essential for you, but answer truthfully. Even if you do not have a lot of customer experience, you can mention other skills and traits that might help you develop it.

8. Would you prefer having another employee or managing all work alone?

Each of our working styles is different no matter what work we do. Some people might prefer to work alone, and some prefer to work with others. You can answer this question truthfully to the employer so that they know your comfort.

9. What unique skills do you have that would make you ideal for this post?

This is a tricky question but it is also an ideal opportunity to stand out and appeal to the employer. You can mention anything unique or fun you can do which can be beneficial to your work that would impress the employer.

10. Why do you want to work as a Barista for our café or firm?

The research you would have done on the company or the café would come into play while answering this question. You can appreciate their work environment, menu, or any other feature and tell them why you’re enthusiastic to work there. The researched bits would also help you earn brownie points for all the effort you would have put in.

Other Barista Interview Questions

Apart from the regular questions and the work-related direct questions, you might also get some miscellaneous questions in the interview. These questions might cover some situations or actions of yours that test if you are the right fit.

Whether it is your way of dealing with your customers or how you multitask at the workplace, all these questions are tricky. You must prepare well before time to be able to answer them confidently.

We have compiled a mix of some of these situational and testing questions that you might face. You must look at how to answer and then form your answer according to how you would react in such situations.

1. Imagine that your co-worker has left their post for some time and suddenly customers flood the counter, what will you do?

The best way to answer practically any situational question is to imagine yourself in that situation and find a solution. You must answer honestly as to how you would multitask with a huge group of customers alone.

2. If you encounter a rude customer in the café, how will you handle them?

While working for customers, you would encounter all sorts of customers, especially the rude ones. But since the customer comes first, your answer must not suggest anything aggressive to deal with an aggressive customer.

3. What keeps you motivated to keep working as a Barista?

People often imagine such jobs to be boring or repetitive, but that is not true for most baristas. You can tell the employer in detail about what drives you to do this work and why you would want to wake up every day to work as a Barista.

4. Has a customer ever been rude or annoyed at your service, why?

If you have worked as a Barista before, you must have had an experience where a customer was dissatisfied with their service. You can elaborate the experience to the employer but try not to sound too negative or arrogant.

5. Has a customer ever appreciated or loved your service, why?

Just like dissatisfied customers, there would also be many customers who would have appreciated your service over time. So you can mention a positive customer interaction where you have made a customer’s day. It doesn’t necessarily have to be anything special, but a positive and kind interaction would suffice.

6. When you receive more customers, can you learn more menu items that you may not be familiar with?

Although you might be trained in beverages and cuisine, you can always keep options open to learn even more. Let your employer know that you are an avid learner and would take up a learning opportunity anytime you get it.

7. Imagine that a customer asks you to make them anything you wish, what will you do?

You choosing the menu item for a random customer is risky since you hardly know their likes and preferences. You can suggest that you would ask them basic questions about a beverage and give them the best beverage of that kind that you can make.

8. Which techniques are you familiar with and which ones are you yet to learn?

Here, you have to be transparent with the employer and tell them about the skills you are aware of, and the ones you aren’t. Being honest might seem like a problem here, but it is better to do this than to not be able to perform as you had mentioned in the interview.

9. Has there ever been a time where you have handled a challenging situation well?

As a Barista, you might have had multiple occasions where you went out of your way to get something done. Not everyone needs to have a dramatic story to tell, but anytime you went out of your way and made extra efforts that resulted in something good are enough.

10. Are you well versed with transactions both cash and card?

If you have to deal with customers while still being a Barista, you need to know how to handle transactions. The employer would teach you how to operate the register but you need to inform them if you do not know how to perform a particular transaction.

Conclusion

Even though most people believe a Barista needs only coffee making and customer handling skills, there is more to the work than meets the eye. It is why the interview for baristas is a complex one that they must face to get the job.

To prepare for an interview, you must refer to the possible questions that your employer could ask in the interview itself. By doing so, you can prepare your answers and walk into the interview well prepared.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What kind of questions are there in a Barista interview?

In a Barista interview, you can expect a wide variety of questions ranging from general questions to in-depth questions about coffee. There would be more work-related questions than general or situational ones, however.

2. Is it essential to prepare for a Barista interview?

Yes, even though you do not necessarily need to prepare for a Barista interview, it is best to do so anyway. Apart from the practice tests that you have to give, the interview is also an essential part of your hiring process.

3. Can you become a Barista even without experience?

Yes, it is possible to get a Barista job without previous experience or hefty qualifications. The main aspect that you would require is ample training on your work and skills that would impress the employer so that they choose you.