Every week we comb through the news to find employment trends affecting the hospitality industry so you don’t have to. This week’s hospitality in the news topic: are barista jobs hard? 

Working as a barista can be a great opportunity for hospitality professionals looking for reliable employment. Think about it –– who can go without their coffee in the morning? Not us. In addition to providing stability, barista work may also be right for you if you’re seeking earlier shifts and a position that allows you to flex both your technical skills and soft skills.  

If you’ve never worked as a barista before you may be wondering, are barista jobs hard? Before we answer that question, let’s first talk about what exactly a barista does.  

In simple terms, a barista is a foodservice employee who makes and/or serves coffee-based beverages. But depending on where you work, the job can include much more than that. Specialty cafes may require their baristas to make extravagant drinks, have extensive coffee knowledge, and create latte art among other requirements. The full scope of a barista’s responsibilities will depend on where they work, but overall, you can expect the following:  

  • Make and serve various coffee and espresso-based drinks. 
  • Be knowledgeable about menu items and coffee in general. 
  • Keep prep areas clean and sanitized. 
  • Provide great customer service. 
Are barista jobs hard? 

Now that you have an idea of what a barista does, we can talk about the difficulty of the position. Whether a job is ‘hard’ or not is usually subjective – as in it depends on the opinion of the person doing it. But with a little knowledge, experience, and the right skills, barista jobs can be easy for the average foodservice professional.  

If you’re new to the position or don’t have a ton of experience, you may find that working as a barista can be challenging at first. Be sure to brush up on common barista lingo, check out relevant YouTube videos, or chat with a barista at your local coffee shop.  

Now that we’ve answered the question, “are barista jobs hard?” you can get out there and find a great gig. Need some help? Contact LGC today.