7 Things I Didn’t Expect About Being a Barista

It isn’t easy to wake up at 5AM and force your brain into hyperactive motion. It isn’t easy to manage a crowd of customers that floods in the door the second we open at 6. A day’s work includes endless running back and forth through the cafe, checking to make sure everything’s running properly, ensuring that no customer leaves unhappy.

It almost seems like an oxymoron — how can a coffee shop be exhausting? Isn’t this supposed to be a haven of relaxation, soft jazz, and comfort food? Shouldn’t every employee be amped up on caffeine and good vibes?

In order to become a barista, one must go through a five-step process: 

• Interview and get hired. 
• Work as a cashier until my boss deems you skilled enough for a promotion. 
• Take a coffee history & science class at our local roastery. 
• Complete 2 weeks of training sessions. 
• Take a certification exam. 

• In high-class coffee culture, “dark roast,” is the inferior variety. Why? It might show that a company is trying to hide the true taste of their beans. In a dark roast, what you’re really tasting is the smokiness of the roasting process itself — the natural flavors of the beans have been scorched away. 
• There’s two distinct types of coffee beans, arabica and robusta. About 75% of the world’s coffee production is arabica, whilst 25% is robusta — so most likely, what you purchase is arabica coffee. It’s also a little more expensive to grow, but much more consumer-desirable.

The coffee industry can make you see both the grumpy side and the beautiful side of the human race. 

They can make the most draining of days feel tolerable. They can uplift you. And they still tolerate you at your worst.