what to do?
I know this has happened to possibly everyone who works in a shop. But I want to know what people do when it is absolutly dead...Right now it's 2 hours till close and everything is done. What I do is try to seek in a couple of 15mins or sit in the walk in cooler (today is very hot) As well there is a crossword puzzle that me and sarah (the other barista) are working on
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Dustin DeMers on
-
I used to create new tip jar signs while it was slow(after doing chores and what not). My store had 15 to 20 different tip jar signs at any given time.
-
Permalink Reply by Alexander Stephen Root on
-
Here's my list of insane cleaning chores to do when it's dead in the store.
- Don't stop doing things until the entire drink prep station (machine, grinders, syrups, fridgerators) is entirely spotless and singing.
- Everything that has a space under it gets lifted and scrubbed.
- Sinks, ironically enough, get filthy. I take a scotch-brite and make sure the sides, bottoms, and drains are all grimeless.
- Pastry case crumbs? Hello, shark vacum.
- Sweep the entire floor. And I mean the. entire. floor.
- Bring a ladder out and dust all air vents/light fixtures. Check the bulbs. If you have track lights that can be positioned, fiddle with them until everything has great spotlight/filler light/ambience.
- Also take LadderTime to dust/clean the high up windows and door frames.
- Get behind coffee brewers and grinders with a brush to catch all of those old grinds you know are back there.
- Go look at stock areas. Are they organized and nifty as well as they can possibly be? If not, have fun doing that AS LONG AS YOU HAVE PERMISSION.
- Stock fridges? Empty them, clean from top to bottom and then restore the supplies.
- Go outside and clean trashcans with a hose.
- Did you know Blendtec blenders can be taken apart and cleaned entirely? If not, here's a good task for you.
And of course, the first one you should do before thinking of anything else, make sure your entire cafe is adequately stocked and prepped for the next inevitable rush/shift change.
Tootles!
-
-
Oh ya, collect all the old grinds you can find(under the grinder, on top of the espresso machine, wherever) and then pull a shot with it any taste it. Or make your co worker a "special" latte... haha awesome!
-
Permalink Reply by Dawn Pinaud on
-
If I am an owner or manager I would tell you to do a coffee tasting and take some time to talk about how to increase sales or simply ask the baristas how you all could do a better job. Get them to open up about what works and what doesn't. Try to solve some problems that you don't always have time to deal with.
If it is always dead at night consider closing earlier, but like I always say "Time to Lean Time to Clean". Dawn
-
Permalink Reply by Ashley N Ruby on
-
That's epic - I LOVE it! Haha Thought about it many times LOL
Dustin DeMers said:Oh ya, collect all the old grinds you can find(under the grinder, on top of the espresso machine, wherever) and then pull a shot with it any taste it. Or make your co worker a "special" latte... haha awesome!
-
-
I think everyone hit the nail on the head with the cleaning suggestions. I manage a large shop with only about 5 employees TOTAL in our off season, most are single person shifts. We have oodles of "just in case" cleaning lsits for those not-so-motivated baristas.
But even more impressive to me is the barista that takes the time to go one step further and read a Fresh Cup or Barista magazine. It makes me feel really great that some of them want to learn more about the coffee industry. We keep a stack of magazines and books in a handy place for our baristas to use as needed (I have never noticed a barista abusing this privelage yet).
We also like to create new signature beverages through experimentation in the down time!
-
Permalink Reply by Laura Campbell on
-
I'm also a compulsive cleaner when quiet. In fact, I had this exact situation today, the afternoon before a public holiday is often quiet as we make coffee mostly for office workers. I always explore for new chores to do, having done the ones I'm allotted. Today I cleaned the machine's run off bucket- it gets regularly emptied but I got that bad boy back to it's original white! I've also stripped off that top of the machine to dust inside, and polished all stainless steel before I returned it. As an employee I hate being bored- and cleaning is a way to make time pass and give my bosses value for money. My favourite menial task is separating the little paper doilies we use for certain types of drinks, they're press cut and hard to grab quickly because they stick together. I can people-watch the street (or chat with a regular) while doing that. LOL
I take pride in the shops (my bosses have two) being clean- whatever shop I'm at most is my baby and I make sure that place is the most hygienic shop in town! Good tip on walking in with the perspective of a customer though, I am SO going to do that!
-
Permalink Reply by Deferio on
-
You may also ask you boss what they want done when it is slow. As a manager myself I always appreciate baristas taking the initiative and coming up wit productive things to submit to me as a part of their jobs expectations. So when you have 2 hours to kill, and you are TRULY done with what your boss expects of you, you can go above and beyond. Make a list of hyper picky things that you can do and do them then submit it to your boss. I guarantee they will appreciate your self motivation and self direction as long as you do it under their authority and for their benefit.
-cd
-
-
As a boss, it makes me feel extra great when my baristas are this eager. Not everyone is super motivated and creative when it comes to down time chores. Some people need more guidence than others. But it shows a lot about someones character if they are willing to ask for more work!
Deferio said:You may also ask you boss what they want done when it is slow. As a manager myself I always appreciate baristas taking the initiative and coming up wit productive things to submit to me as a part of their jobs expectations. So when you have 2 hours to kill, and you are TRULY done with what your boss expects of you, you can go above and beyond. Make a list of hyper picky things that you can do and do them then submit it to your boss. I guarantee they will appreciate your self motivation and self direction as long as you do it under their authority and for their benefit.
-cd
- ‹ Previous
- 1
- 2
- Next ›
Barista Exchange Partners
Barista Exchange Friends
Keep Barista Exchange Free
Are you enjoying Barista Exchange? Is it helping you promote your business and helping you network in this great industry? Donate today to keep it free to all members. Supporters can join the "Supporters Group" with a donation. Thanks!
© 2024 Created by Matt Milletto.
Powered by
