How We Train New Baristas
We train baristas like we train hosts: start with people. A warm greeting and a calm presence are harder to teach than a grind adjustment, so we put those first. New hires learn the menu, common allergens, and how to answer “What should I get?” without sounding like a robot reading a script.
Then we move into the technical. We practice steaming with water first because it is cheaper than milk and just as humbling. Pitcher angle, tip depth, listening for that paper-tear sound, stopping before the milk gets cooked. Once the motion is right, milk becomes an ingredient, not an enemy.
Espresso comes next with one rule: taste everything. We drill dose, distribution, yield, and time, but the palate is the final judge. We keep notes and adjust one variable at a time. Learning shots become staff drinks because nothing teaches like tasting your own mistake in real time.
The best training metric is confidence. When someone can keep their station clean, talk to customers, and still pull a consistent shot in a rush, they are ready. We celebrate the small wins because the small wins are the job. Also, everyone gets a say in the playlist. Democracy builds resilience.