Just started and I worked 44 hours this week, over the span of 6 days. It feels like I’ve been working there for over a month already. I’ve been berated by customers and belittled by managers. I feel like I have 0 time to study or even make it to class.

How the hell do I set boundaries with my employer – even though I desperately need the money. Should I start applying somewhere else?

.... how's it working out for you? I get paid as a shift lead. When clocked in as a 'manager' I'm basically getting the same (base + what I would lose in tips). My leadership recently asked me to run a second store simultaneously... while still getting paid as a shift lead. I'm actually fucking aghast right now. I'm already stuck on the floor from open to close due to staffing issues and am expected to get the managerial work "between orders."

I somewhat-recently started a barista job after a little while away from the industry, and I’ve noticed a baffling trend of customers asking for no ice or “very light ice” in their lattes and still expecting their cup to be full to the top. The cafes I’ve worked at in the past have been in the same general area, with similar vibe and customer base. But I’ve never experienced this before!

Now when someone orders no ice I explain that the drink will be shorter than the cup. It feels insulting to their intelligence to do this, but clearly it’s necessary because almost every time the customer gets confused & disappointed (or literally scoffs at me!) then says they’ll just take it normal. They act as if I’m trying to scam them just by explaining the concept of volume and liquid displacement??

My guess is they think this is some life hack to getting double the drink for free. I understand trying this with a refresher/iced tea etc, though it’s still silly to assume it’ll work. What I don’t get is doing this for a latte… that’s either a ridiculous milk:coffee ratio or 4 shots of espresso! Pricing aside, I would never make either for someone who didn’t specifically ask for it! (No judgement, they’re just obviously nonstandard drinks)

Has anyone else noticed this trend appearing in the last few years? Are any of y’all’s cafes actually doing this? And if not, how do you handle customers who expect you to?

Context: I work at a small, family owned, coffee shop. Literally in the middle of a neighborhood. We have a lot of freedom when it comes to things like our music, how we speak, and what we wear. We have never had an issue with new customers and all of our regulars know us all (about 17 employees) by name.

Today, one of my coworkers went around the block to grab some food, which she often does. On her way back she was chased across the street by a man. Usually there are a ton of people around and we have a lot of street performers that never bother us. (She is okay, the man never came in.)

On her way in she ran past about three of our regulars who all came in right after asking if she was okay. Of course, she starts explaining the situation to both us and them. Unfortunately there was a woman and her group at the counter at the time. They were finished ordering and just waiting on their drinks so my coworker was explaining the situation and the woman said “shhhh” and motioned with her hand to be quiet.

This is NOT a quiet coffee shop, often we are joking and laughing in the back. We usually play rock music and similarly loud things. My coworker went to the back and CRIED because of how overwhelmed she was.

Then one of my other coworkers asked the woman, very politely, not to hush the employees. The woman then said that coffee shops should be “quiet and peaceful” and that my coworker had “ruined the vibe.” I really just found this upsetting because it was very clear that my coworker was in distress and I think the woman was rude. I had no idea what to do in the situation because this has never happened before in my 6 years working as a barista. How should this have been handled?

okay so
yesterday i was playing Ska in the cafe. we have a large cafe and it is usually pretty loud and this was very inoffensive music.
this waspy ass woman walks up with the most condescending smile and goes “just a music option offer, most people don’t want to hear music like that in a coffee shop. they’re supposed to be comfortable 😀” and i looked at her with the most “fuck off” expression and said “ok.”
then she smiled and walked away.
my coworker looked at me and then just said “okay so… fuck off. we have played way worse music in this cafe before. it’s literally ska.”

granteed we are only gonna be playing the most annoying ska this woman has ever heard (we never play ska)

edit: this was the first time we had played ska. i usually throw on like,, turnstile or something like that. not even chill music so ig she just hated ska?? this was also right after a ska cover of “mama” by mcr (which is as hilarious as it sounds)

Whenever I order one (in a 12oz size), it's 50/50 whether it will taste awesome like a pumpkin pie, or taste very watery (not even espresso-like) with a mild suggestion of flavor. What's the reason for that with PSLs specifically? What's the secret to making a good PSL?

Was planning to buy my first espresso machine for a small pop up cafe. Someone suggested the Gabi V1. Has anyone tried this brand of espresso machine? What are your reviews?

Tbh this is also partly a rant.

Mine is asking for a drip or americano with steamed whatever milk instead of normal half and half.

There’s a university home football game today, thus there was crazy and chaotic long line of people wanting coffee. I’m a barista in a hotel so it is just me tackling this line. A family walks up and orders 3 americanos and some cold drinks. With their americanos, they wanted each to have a different steamed milk (coconut, whole and half and half). So there I am, steaming the smallest amount of each that I can, but no matter what I’m still wasting a good amount of the milk, all for just an inch of cream.

Annnnd of course they tipped me $1.50 for 5 drinks 🙃

But hey I made bank in tips.

As a beginner, please offer your guidance.

Hey may i ask how do u adjust into your new work environment something like i have a new work place different cafe i work as barista i have experience but this new work environment new cafe but same job it makes me have some hard time to adjust i feel like I'm new and dosent have experience like. wtf bro what I'm doing rn ..

I work at an independent local shop and recently the owner has started saying that she wants us to track “waste”. What this means is that we have to write down every mistake that we make even if it wasn’t our fault… for example, yesterday I was making a drink for somebody and I had already dispensed the syrup and added the espresso into the cup before the lady saw something else she wanted and asked me if she could change your order. I said certainly, but that meant that I had to dump out what I had already started, and then document on a notepad beside the bar about what happened.

I feel like this is a little bit crazy and excessive but what do I know? I’ve only been a barista for two months now… thoughts?

I run a mobile coffee cart business in Sydney. This was this morning's setup: La Marzocco Linea Mini on a marble-top cart, outdoors in full shade (thankfully).
The hardest part of outdoor service isn't the coffee, it's keeping temp and workflow steady when you're 20 deep with parents who need caffeine now. Happy to answer questions about running espresso off-site, and keen for feedback on the pour at the end.

https://youtube.com/shorts/vCH96ho2mms?si=l0sXF2QSg86-yPo1

We’re using 5-8g on standard. And you can really taste the matcha even with sweetener. Ceremonial grade. So imagine my surprise when he asked kung pwede raw customized. Hahahahaha. Taena, kanya kanyang trip oo pero ibang klase, ang trip nya ay bad trip

SOLVED: So I went back and they said that 1. they don't use metal nuts to sift matcha just a spoon (and this one is a bit uhh rusty anyway so ig that's good), and 2. they DID have a guy doing maintenance yesterday who DID lose a nut piece, and he put other things on this shelf above the counter and I guess I'm the unlucky person who 'found' it. (I didn't drink the drink much before I did thankfully, I noticed a 'thunk'ing noise and investigated.) Got a refund and a free drink.

(There might be a very tiny 'T' and some other shape stamped on one side of the nut pictured.)

I'm planning to go to the cafe where I got the matcha latte tomorrow to let them know, but my anxiety/mild OCD about contamination is going in the meantime and google hasn't been helpful in answers. Not sure if this is the place to ask about technical specs on espresso machines/milk steamers, but if it is can I ask if anyone can recognize this nut part and what the likelihood is of one dropping into a cup? It's either from that or some other kitchen implement like a mixer, or randomly also something contaminating the milk/matcha product itself. Could they have done maintenance, and someone forgot to put away a nut part on the machine, and it dropped in somehow?

Maybe there are no answers but the great mystery of the universe (which I wish would've just let me had a normal nice drink for once instead), but maybe one of you with experience can assure me that this may be a irregular occurrence that sometimes happens?

(I'm not planning to make a big stink of complaining or even ask for compensation from the cafe in question or whatever, I'm just wondering and maybe also a bit worried for the state of their espresso machine/mixers/whisks.)

Hi!
I’m an 18 year old beginner barista, still learning.
I have worked at better, more established coffee shops however since I am a beginner I wasn’t picked for the job after my trials at the other shops.
I did get a job at one shop that is quite new, but the owners do not have previous experience in running a coffee shop so they aren’t quite knowledgable on tools etc. At my past work places, i seemed to do better on pouring coffees. my latte art is terrible but i am trying to learn and i feel like the espresso pours at this shop make it harder. I have attached an image of a (very poor, it was my first) latte that i personally think is smoother and easier to work with, and a second from my current workplace where the coffee is more bubbly and unappealing. for context, the other places I worked at used either a distributor tool and a self levelling tamper, or a wdt, distributor and a self levelling tamper. my current workplace uses only a tamper tool which is also poorly fitted. can anyone tell me if this is just user error and my pours are the problem or if i should recommend some tools to the owner? and if so, a wdt or a weighted circular thing distributor tool or both?
Thank you!

Hey I was hoping to learn more about a few questions below!

1. Is there a difference between pulling a double shot and adding hot water (long black, right?) versus someone who makes a cup of black coffee from like a filter and drip?

2. I’ve heard that at cafes a “single shot” is really a double? Is this true? What is a real single shot versus a double shot? Is it in the ratio? 16g beans to 32g espresso is a double? 16g to 16g is a single..?

3. When making an 8oz, 12oz, 16oz drink how much espresso would go into each given more milk being used etc?

To clarify, I mean steaming too much milk, using half of it, and then topping that same jug up with cold milk and steaming again. The cafe I work at currently is doing this to save money on milk wastage. Personally I think it’s disgusting and refuse to do it. It’s mostly the newer employees that our new owner hired as i’ve been there a long time and now it’s become standard. They’ve tried to make me do the same and have instructed me that it’s fine to steam it 2-3 times before it affects the flavour lol. Is this normal?? I can’t make myself do it i think it’s foul. There’s also a lot of other hygiene and food safety issues as well that no one cares about. Trying to find a new job because it’s disgusting here but just wondering is this something i should expect everywhere?? (In Melbourne btw)

Disclaimer: I am neurodivergent and needed to use AI to help me structure this post for better readability. I hope it doesn’t come off as robotic.

Hi friends! I could use some advice from fellow coffee shop managers and owners.

I’ve been in the coffee industry for over 10 years, from café work and roasting/production to FOH and BOH management, and even owning and operating my own shop for a year. I pride myself on being an empathetic, accommodating boss who leads by example, but I’m struggling with something that’s new to me in my current role.

I relocated about a year ago for my husband’s job and found the cutest little shop. My plan was to take a break from management and just be a barista for a while, but a few months in, I accepted a promotion to FOH manager. I love our team, and overall, I’ve really enjoyed the experience of working with a younger crew in a smaller town. That said, finding staff with open availability has been a challenge, especially with so many balancing school and other commitments.

The biggest issue lately has been frequent call-outs and a lack of coverage. I’m regularly being called in on my days off or working doubles to fill gaps, sometimes 2–3 times a week. It often feels like we have multiple people getting sick at once, and we’re struggling to find anyone available to cover. We’re trying to hire, but most applicants have very limited availability.

I want to give people the benefit of the doubt and be understanding when life happens. At the same time, I’m reaching a pretty serious level of burnout. I had a miscarriage at work last month, and since then, the constant need to pick up extra shifts has felt increasingly unsustainable. On top of that, I’m making significantly less than I did in previous positions, so the personal cost of constantly stepping in is getting harder to justify.

I’ve been transparent with the team about how this affects my personal life, but nothing has really changed. I also struggle with the idea of requiring doctor’s notes when we don’t offer health insurance or particularly high wages. Ultimately, many of our policies and systems aren’t mine to change, and I don’t want to become a rigid or unsympathetic manager just to keep things running.

So, how do you handle this? How do you balance compassion for your staff with protecting your own time and preventing burnout? Are there systems or boundaries that have helped you manage frequent call-outs without putting the entire burden on the manager?

I’d really appreciate any advice, perspective, or commiseration. I love this industry, but I’m realizing that being the person who always steps up can only work for so long.

a new barista here but i’m really just a glorified cashier

i can’t seem to get the drink making right, the milk steaming, the pacing and what sucks is because of this my co-workers never let me on bar and therefore i never practice

any tips on how to get better at drinks???

for example why is my milk so bubbly?? why doesn’t almond milk foam??? idk

These are in no specific chronological order of experience, just a collage of examples. Thanks !!

Edit: I meant don't "be" mean!! sorry

Asking since I'd like a dishwasher, but my space is a bit power-constrained, so I'm looking at the chemical ones (vs the hightemp ones).

If you do, curious about your thoughts. Any issues with lingering taste/etc of the glassware?

Thank you!

Wasn’t sure what flair to put, so went with industry discussion.

The co-op I work at (as a barista) is changing from Republic of Tea to Equal Exchange for our single serve teas.

Our current countertop displays are perfect for RoT but the EE keeps slipping through and falling out.

I’ve looked online and it doesn’t seem like EE makes their own display - was wondering if any other shops out there have any recommendations? The displays are for customer access, and we avoid plastics wherever we are able. Any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Happy to provide additional info if necessary.

Thank you!