I spent the majority of my summer wearing khakis, black polo shirts, the staple green apron, and a black hat featuring letters in bright white spelling out Starbucks. Now, as a college student in a different city, I am no longer a barista; however I do look back at my time there with positive memories.
Below are some myths I would like to debunk and some I'd like to clarify.
1. The Register Is SO Simple!
The register screen looks similar to this plus a bunch of tabs. People assume we just click on an image of their drink and that it's a breeze. Though after a while, you do get the hang of it, I promise it's not as simplistic as some would think.
2. Why ISN'T EVERYONE Working On MY Order?
Behind the counter everyone literally has a different task. There's one partner, maybe two at the counter, one drive thru (MAYBE two), a runner (who is making fresh coffee, cleaning, and doing a cycle every 15 minutes or so), one to two people at the bar making the drinks, and a shift manager (who will be the the additional person at the register, drive thru, or bar depending on who needs the most help at that moment. It is very unlikely everyone is working on the same order.
3. Don't You Guys Get FREE stuff like ALL the time?
Starbucks is pretty great to their employees. The free food and drinks alone are amazing. You get one free drink prior to starting your shift, one per every 10 or 30-minute break you have, and one when you leave. Also, during a 10-minute break, you can get a free pastry or food item like a sandwich. If you're working an 8-hour shift that means you will be given two 10-minute breaks, and one 30-minute break. If you take advantage of each free drink, that means you'll have had 5 drinks for free that day.
Aside from that, you also get a free item from the sales area per week. This can be k-cups, a pound of coffee, iced tea, or basically anything on display that you're able to consume. If that's not enough, you also get 35% off everything when you're not working and during certain times you'll get a larger discount.
So, when you're not working, you do not get free stuff, but you DO get a great discount.
4. Starbucks Pays Minimum Wage.
Prior to becoming an employee, I also was under the belief that starting pay was $7.25/hour; however, I was excited to find out that starting pay was $8/hour and you can go up from there. I also had no idea we all were given tips. Depending on how many hours you worked, the bigger amount of tips you were given. I've made $7 in a week to $25 just in tips not including my paycheck.
5. We Misspell Names On Purpose
No, we are NOT intentionally misspelling your name. Usually, it's an accident or we were just in a rush. I usually asked customers what they wanted their cups to say on them. Personally, Unicorn Queen is still my favorite.
6. We Know Every Recipe And Secret Recipe By Heart
We add new flavors and recipes just about every month, and I do not have a list of secret menu recipes on hand. The Butterbeer is one of my all time favorites though!
7. Baristas Don't Hate Working For Starbucks.
I loved working at Starbucks everyday. Sometimes it was a struggle, but I met the best people, LOVE my boss, and love my customers. Working for Starbucks taught me valuable skills, helped me spread my positivity, and made my summer as a barista one of the best. I have memories that can't be replaced and I wouldn't change it for the world.
The bottom line is we are "one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time."
Cheers!
- Barista Bubbles
