We are currently seeking a friendly, smart, hard-working, experienced barista to join our small team of coffee enthusiasts.

Applicants should have a flexible schedule and be available to work at least 2-3 shifts a week (including Sundays), ~15hrs.

Though we are absolutely looking for coffee/barista experience, we also very much believe in ongoing training and will definitely be reviewing/teaching to City & State's standards of espresso preparation and coffee knowledge. So, you don't have to be a zen barista master... yet. But, you do have to love coffee. We are always looking for applicants that show strong leadership and the potential to expand their awesomeness into new responsibilities. And if you can wow us with your mad drink mixology skills, that's a bonus!

The position we are currently hiring for is not for everyone. If you read through this description and feel energized, or get jazzed to complete the slightly odd questions in the application, then this job might be for you.

Before reading further, check the below:

• If you cannot work mornings and weekends, please do not apply
• If you do not truly love coffee (or you only like it underneath a lot of added flavors/syrups), you probably shouldn't apply
• And if you are not a genuinely cheerful, optimistic, outwardly friendly person, ...you guessed it, please do not apply

We only say this because we want you to be happy where you work and we want to be happy working with you!

If interested, read more below and download the application. And if you have applied before, please resubmit your application.

What we are looking for

Are you personable and genuine with people, customers and co-workers alike? Can you be focused on making people feel good even when you're having a less-than-stellar day? Are you good at connecting with people, reading faces/body language and empathizing?

Does the challenge of working efficiently and skillfully under pressure (without losing your sense of humor) interest you?

Would you call yourself a foodie? Maybe you love to cook or maybe you just love to eat? Could you wax poetic about a knock-your-socks-off cookie (or beer, or espresso...)? Could you do it in 10,000 words? How about five?

Would you like to learn about coffee? Where it comes from? About how processing, roasting, blending, freshness and preparation all affect what we taste in the cup? Really?

Are you curious about how things work, how things can be improved? Do you like to read (or at least look stuff up on wikipedia)? Do you like to share what you learn, to teach others?

Can you take responsibility for your work? Do you take pride in a job well done? What about the not-so-glamorous jobs, like scrubbing out a chemex, and cleaning the bathroom, can you do those too?

Can you get up early in the morning (and function)? Not all our shifts are early ones, but a lot of them are. Can you be on your feet for long stretches without pooping out. Are you dependable? Can your co-workers rely on you?

And finally, do you plan on sticking around a while? Cause it might take you a while to become a kick-ass barista. If you made it this far though, we think you might be awesome!

What we mean by Barista

To us, a barista is not just any person behind the counter at a coffee shop, but someone with training, respect for, and pride in, the highly-specialized craft of making great coffee.

ABOUT THE POSITION

Barista responsibilities include:

• Engaging customers and surpassing their needs
• Preparing and serving coffee and other drinks to the highest standards consistently and efficiently
• Taking orders and ringing up sales
• Preparing and serving simple snacks
• Developing barista skills and helping train new hires
• Maintaining the store environment, equipment and inventory
• Ensuring food safety standards are met
• Resolving unmet customer concerns
• Recommending product and process improvements
• Cleaning and closing responsibilities

The not so typical responsibilities:

• Engaging with customers in the education of brewing methods
• Learning customer preferences and making recommendations based on their tastes
• Continuous learning through research, reading and practice
• Leading customer tastings and workshops

The good stuff:

• Guaranteed combined hourly rate (base + tips) of $17/hr
• PTO and Sick Leave eligibility after passing 1 year of employment
• Ongoing paid training in partnership with Intelligentsia
• In store discount on retail goods
• Plenty of quality caffeine

Please send completed applications to katiewells@cityandstate.us.