Barista Interview Questions & Answers

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Baristas prepare and serve hot and cold beverages, including various types of coffee and tea in coffee shops and restaurants. Barista responsibilities include educating customers on drinks menu, making recommendations based on their preferences, up-selling special items and taking orders.

Whether you're a job seeker preparing to be interviewed for the role of Barista or an employer preparing to interview candidates for Barista position, these Barista interview questions will help you prepare yourself for the job interview session.

Barista Interview Questions

Below are a list of some skill-based Barista interview questions.

1. What do you know about different coffee blends and brewing methods?
2. What do you think are the primary tasks of a barista? How would you manage all of these tasks?
3. What is good customer service to you?
4. What is the key to providing excellent customer service?
5. Describe your experience in customer service.
6. What would you do if a customer asked you about the ingredients in a food or beverage, and you were unsure of the answer?
7. How would you improve current displays to attract more buyers?
8. How would you go about helping a dissatisfied customer?
9. Can you give one example each of a time you provided good customer service and a time a customer was dissatisfied with your service? How did you resolve the issue for the dissatisfied customer?
10. How do you handle the repetitive nature of typical barista work?
11. What do you think are your personality strengths and weaknesses? How do they contribute to your ability to be a good barista?
12. How do you make a Café Latte?
13. How well do you handle multiple tasks at once, while remembering the names of customers and their complicated drinks?
14. What are the easiest and hardest specialty drinks for you to make?
15. Can you tell the difference between a cappuccino, a latte, and a macchiato?
16. Do you enjoy coming up with your own specialty drink combinations? If so, what have you created and how would you describe it?
17. What would you say are your best and worst specialty coffee drinks you make and why?
18. How do you clean and maintain a professional espresso machine? What can happen as a result of infrequent cleaning?
19. How do you keep your workspace clean while busy?
20. How do you prevent stress from your personal life entering your professional life?
21. Name the main types of coffee beans.
22. Talk about a time when you mixed up a clients' order. How did you fix the situation?
23. How important is it to keep the barista station clean during your shift?
24. Can you provide a few examples that demonstrate your multi-tasking skills as a barista?
25. Would you give someone you know a free coffee?
26. Your coworker calls in sick ahead of the morning shift. You have off, but your manager calls asking if you can fill in. How do you respond?
27. What experience do you have heating up or serving cafe food? What examples can you provide?
28. How would you rate your verbal communication skills as a barista? Can you give a few examples?
29. A new customer comes into the cafe and is unsure what to get. What do you suggest to them from our menu and why?
30. Are you a quick learner? How would you feel about changes to coffee drink recipes or seasonal items?
31. What is a Café Breva, and why can it be challenging to make?
32. What would you do if you saw someone stealing from the register?
33. Can you talk about your typical day as a barista at your previous job?
34. Have you ever used a POS to complete customer transactions?
35. How well do you work in a team environment?
36. Talk about a time your attention to detail prevented a mistake.
37. How well is your memory? Have you ever had to memorize a list of items before?
38. How well do you remember names?
39. Since you have never worked in a coffee shop before, how do you know you will like it?
40. If a customer said they wanted a double-double, what are they referring to?

Barista Interview Questions and Answers

Every interview is different and the questions may vary. However, there are lots of general questions that get asked at every interview.

Below are some common questions you'd expect during Barista interviews. Click on each question to see how to answer them.

1. Why Do You Want To Leave Your Current Job?
2. What is Your Greatest Strength?
3. Tell Me About Yourself
4. Why Do You Want This Job?
5. Are You a Leader or a Follower?
6. What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?
7. What is Your Salary Expectation?
8. Do You Have Any Questions for Us?
9. Why Should We Hire You?
10. What is Your Greatest Weakness?

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