My roommate, Jenny, has worked at Starbucks for almost a year now and absolutely loves it. Her favorite time of the year in the store is the holiday season. Her favorite holiday drink to make is the Pumpkin Spice Latte because she likes adding whipped cream and festive decorations. Mastering the perfect swirl on top of the cup takes a lot of skill and deserves recognition. Not only did she tell me about her favorite holiday drinks, but she also enlightened me with her favorite aspects of working at Starbucks.
Rewarding Work
Training to work at Starbucks isn't easy, so it always makes an employee's day when customers are polite. Baristas have to train intensely for two weeks in order to memorize the entire menu. Baristas must know the drink code, espresso shot amount, and flavor pump amount for every drink on the menu.
Customers should be more grateful for this extensive training, because without it we wouldn’t be able to have consistently delicious experiences at all the Starbucks stores we go to. Know that the baristas are working as fast as they can and putting in as much effort as possible into every drink. Exercise some patience and appreciate the baristas, they deserve just as much respect as anyone else, if not more.
Amazing Food
From Jenny’s favorite spinach feta egg white wrap breakfast sandwich to traditional oatmeal, there truly is something for everyone to enjoy. Jenny is obsessed with the turkey, pesto, and mozzarella tomato panini, and after one bite you will be too.
If you have the time, Jenny recommends warming all the food items up. Almost everything can be warmed up, except for food items such as the lemon pound cake because of the icing. Delicious food options such as apple fritters, chocolate croissants, or chocolate chip cookies taste amazing warmed up too.
Iced vs. Hot
There are a lot of differing opinions when it comes to iced or hot Starbucks drink preferences. Jenny enjoys making hot drinks more because making iced drinks leads to splashing all over her and the counter. She prefers drinking iced beverages though, so clearly the mess is worth it. Baristas appreciate when customers initially vocalize their desired iced or hot beverage size (tall, grande, or venti) so they know what size cup to grab. This ordering style also saves customers from having to repeat their orders.
Starbucks is Better Than Dunkin'
Starbucks or Dunkin'? Without a pause, Jenny answers Starbucks. She was adamant that it wasn't solely because she works there, but rather because the quality of the coffee is much better. Along with many customers, she knows that just taste the Starbucks proves that their coffee is of better quality
Best Barista Perk
With so many amazing perks, it's was hard for Jenny to decide which is the best. Employees receive free Spotify premium and free Starbucks drinks for every shift and break they have. Jenny’s go-to free drink order is an Iced Caramel Macchiato, which she can either make herself or have a co-worker make for her. Starbucks employees also receive a free one-pound bag of coffee every week.
At your campus Starbucks, there are constant customers throughout the day. Jenny loves working on campus, because as a barista she sees many people she knows and is constantly surrounded by people her age. Another perk for Jenny is that she really likes her coworkers, who are mostly all students. Her managers are also great and really understanding of their busy collegiate schedules.
The final question I asked Jenny was if working at Starbucks has made her more of a coffee drinker and she proudly answered, “Yes!” She swears she’s not addicted (yet) but admits to definitely drinking a lot more coffee than she did before working at Starbucks. If you need an on-campus job, be sure to check out your local Starbucks to see if they're hiring.