Top 21 Barista Interview Questions in 2023 [With Answers]

Do you know? The culture of Coffee café in India started in 2000 and can you guess whose gift it is?

The culture of coffee café was introduced and pioneered in India by none other than the very well-known café ‘Barista Coffee’. Imagine having a part of a coffee café and that too as a barista, working along with the team in a cheerful environment. How does it feel? Great! Indeed.. eventually we all seek a workstation that may not seem to be work but rather more fun and joy.

So here we are coming with the top 21 interview questions for Barista which will help you to crack the interview in a much sleek manner.

Barista Interview Questions

Q1) Do you like coffee? If yes, what do you like about it?

This is a question that can be asked to you just to verify that you are optimistic about Coffee or not.

For eg:

Indeed I like coffee a lot. It is the first thing which I have at the crack of dawn. Of course what else can be a more refreshing start than sipping a freshly brewed Coffee? There are too many things which I do like about coffee but the one special thing is variations of coffee, I like to taste and discover most of them.

Q2) What are your favorite brews?

The interviewer usually ask such question to know the taste and knowledge you acquire about the products your company sells. Here you are expected to answer some of the most exclusive and typical coffee you had previously and which you are known for its making procedure too.

Q3) Can you please let us know what is different between Macchiato and latte Macchiato?

As you are getting interviewed for a well-known café you are expected to have at least some basic information about the common drinks which customers tend to order. In case if you aren’t aware of any drink, feel free to confess. Here the interviewer will see how curious you are to learn new things which are not known to you.

Q4) How (any specific coffee) is it made?

As earlier, even here the interviewer is interested to know how many types of drinks you are familiar with. Answer this question if you are known. In case if you aren’t then confess your side and let him know that you are eager to learn more and more things

Q5) Please name the main types of coffee beans?

If you are a coffee lover you tend to know some varieties of coffee beans that are available in the market. Here the interviewer wants to know how much experience and how well you know it with coffee and how much extra training you need to be comfortable with some more basics.

Q6) Tell me the first thing you notice when you walk into our outlet?

Interviewers are always smart, they ask this question to know how good an observer you are. If you are interested in your fullest degree you ought to notice some great things in or outside the outline before you enter. Remember your answer must be simple and positive. It’s not the time to point out faults or to suggest what can be improved.

For eg:

The very first thing which I noticed when I entered and I appreciate is, the employees working here are truly cheerful and the joy and fun on their faces say it all. I also noticed a large number of products for up selling like biscuits, coffee beans, and other delicious food items, which will attract customers’ attention and taste.

Q7) Would you offer a free coffee to someone whom you know if he enters our outlet?

Relax! It’s not at all bizarre if this question made a smile on your face. Sometimes interviewers are witty. But of course, as every question before even this question comes up with some purpose. The interviewer wants to know how much importance you give to ethics and policies, he even wants to know will you charge every customer equally. The answer to this question must be ‘No’ every time.

For eg:

Treating your friends is a good thing hence I’ll make sure if I do so I’ll pay every charge as a customer to the company. I am very well known for the policies and I assure when I am on duty I am ought to adhere to every policy and stick to ethics.

Q8) Have you ever worked anywhere else? And if not how you are sure you will like it?

This is a very obvious and common question asked in almost every job interview. To answer this question honestly. I would personally recommend having some experience before you apply or at least an internship.

Q9) As there are many other cafés, why do you want to work with us?

This question is very important as the interviewer checks what your perception is towards his company. They are also willing to know how serious you are with the applied company or you just want a job.

For eg:

Of course I’ve visited many cafés yet but this café has been my favorite. Above the coffees, the most unique thing I like is the aroma in every outlet. This thing just changes the vibes and also makes me feel relaxed and pleasant.

Q10) How do you remember the different names and recall the difficult orders accordingly?

Baristas are ought to perform multi-tasks as they have to handle many things at a time. Performing a multi-task is not at all fancy for a barista. Every work needs to be done perfectly. Hence, I recommend having some experience or internship before you apply.

Q11) What are the parameters for ‘Good customer service‘ according to you?

For an organization apart from their products and ambiance, customer service is the essential thing. They want to know what is your way of treating your customers in such a way so they can impress. Answer this question very carefully as this question will impact how well you are capable of the position.

Q12) In a situation, if you are not able to make your customer satisfied, what will be your response?

It is essential to make your customer happy but that’s not the case every time, sometimes things may go averse. The recruiter wants to know how you deal with the negative situations which were not expected.

For eg:

I know my job is to make drinks and beverages to the best of my ability but sometimes the state of mind or else can also affect a person’s taste, it is not good, then even the luscious latte may also taste bad. So in this situation, I would reach out to my manager considering that the fresh and senior face may handle the situation way much better.

Q13) In any situation, if you had to face criticism from the manager what would be your response?

As the interviewer of your strengths also wants to know your weakness, so this is a way to know whether this is your weakness. This will also let him know how you take every situation optimistically.

For eg:

I am quite sure that feedback is something that helps us to grow more. I take every feedback the same way there is nothing negative in it, for me, it’s an indicator or a path that shows where to improve.

Q14) Have you ever mixed up the client’s order? If yes, how did you manage it?

No one is perfect, at some point, everyone makes a mistake, your recruiter also knows this very well. Hence you need to answer this very sincerely. If you have made such a mistake, admit and escalate it and also let them know how you tackled it.

Q15) If any customer asks for ‘double double’ then what are they referring to?

As we earlier discussed we need to have some basics and experience about barista. Here the interviewer also wants to know how many coffee jargons or keywords you are familiar with.

Q16) Keeping Barista station clean is essential to you?

As you may have guessed, the interviewer just wants to know how much importance you give to cleanliness.

Q17) What will be the suitable work timing for you? If you had to do a night shift would you be comfortable?

The answer to this question can differ from person to person, it’s completely rational so you can answer according to your considerations.

Q18) How do you manage your stress and how do you prevent it from entering into your professional life?

It is very important to manage your feelings not only for a barista but for every job. Anger, anxiety, stress are such types of feelings which can affect your work adversely. To answer this question by escalating to your recruiter how you manage your stress and won’t let it affect your professional life.

For eg:

Rather than stress management I work upon my responsibility management. I use an application where I feed my entire daily schedule and which helps me to be productive and to be on time, which ultimately doesn’t allow me to give time to such feelings.

Q19) If you arrive late for a shift, what would you do?

As in every other workplace, even time management is a very important aspect. Hence interviewers ask this to know how well you manage your time. So answer this promptly.

For eg:

I have one habit. I usually prefer to arrive 30 or 20 min earlier wherever I have to arrive. So I can tackle unexpected traffic or such unexpected events but still, if anything extraordinary happens I would contact my manager to inform.

Q20) How much salary do you expect?

Here comes the sweetest tricky question. If you answer first, you lose. So don’t answer this question first, instead, ask the interviewer about the range for the position. Off guard, the interviewer has to reveal the pay now, and if still he doesn’t then tell him that it depends upon the details of the job and then discuss the CTC.

Q21) Any questions or queries you want to ask?

The answer to this question should never be ‘No’, always have some set of questions ready. Asking questions shows how curious and interested you are in this job

Download the list of questions in .PDF format, to practice with them later, or to use them on your interview template (if you want to crack Interview):

Conclusion

Getting a job as a barista and cherishing the moods of the people by serving them astonishing brewed coffee is no less than a virtue. So what are you waiting for? Just prepare for your interview and grab what you are passionate about.

Also, remember,

” You don’t have to see the whole Staircase Just take the first step”

-Martin Luther king jr

Also, don’t forget to like and share the article if you like, and also add some more questions if we have missed out any and comment down your thoughts, as they are always appreciated.

References

1. https://www.collinsamuelday.com/uploads/1/1/7/9/117907630/coffeenaivete_collinday_04242019.pdf
2. https://www.scirp.org/html/22-1531577_104279.htm