Working at a café can be an enriching experience, especially if you’re a bit of a coffee-holic. However, these entry-level jobs are in pretty high demand, which means that it can be tough to make yourself stand out amongst a pool of candidates.
That’s why knowing what interview questions at a café you should expect is so important. It can help you prepare yourself ahead of time so that you ace your job interview and land the honor of being the new barista on the block.
In general, interview questions at a café focus on food service and customer-service skills. However, if that’s a bit vague for your liking, don’t panic. As a two-time former barista myself, I’ve gone in-depth into some of the top interview questions to expect at a café.
What Interviewing at a Café Is Like
Interviewing at a café can be a distracting process. Typically, interviews are conducted on the café floor, which means you’ll have other patrons and baristas going about their business during your interview. On top of that, you’ll have a lot of pairs of eyes watching you, which can be a bit intimidating!
Before heading into a café interview, keeping this in mind can help your interview have a positive outcome. Try to focus on what your interviewer is saying, and don’t let yourself get distracted by what’s going on around you.
Another thing to know about interviewing at a café is how to dress. Although many baristas wear casual clothes to work, for an interview, you’ll want to make a good impression. You can still dress casually, but avoid jeans or revealing clothing. Try to wear something clean and conservative that’s not overly dressed up, such as a suit would be.
Interviewing at a Café vs Coffee Shop
Although coffee shops and cafés are sometimes used synonymously, that’s not always the case. Cafés tend to offer more food than coffee shops do, sometimes even offering full meal service.
As a result, the positions available at a café are sometimes a little different than those of a place that just serves coffee. Cafés often need busboys, dishwashers, cooks, and waiters in addition to just baristas.
At the same time, for smaller cafés, baristas may be in charge of handling all the tasks that dishwashers, cooks, and waiters would as well as making coffee. Knowing this ahead of time can help you be prepared for the demands of the job and the types of interview questions that may get asked.
Top 8 Interview Questions at a Café
Now that you know a little bit about interviewing at a café, let’s get into the questions. Below I’ve covered a few of the top interview questions that hiring managers at a café are likely to ask.
1. How Many Hours Can You Work a Day?
Shifts at cafés can tend to be long, with most workers spending at least 8 hours a day on the floor. As a result, most cafés are hunting for full-time workers who can commit to these longer shifts or part-time workers who are willing to work a few full days a week.
Of course, while it’s great to have fully open availability, make sure that you’re honest about how much you can work. This will help set expectations correctly upfront and ensure that you’re comfortable with the schedule if you are offered a position.
Just make sure that you’re prepared to work early morning, late night, or weekend hours. Depending on the café you’re applying to work at, these are all possible schedules that they may need you to commit to.
2. Why Do You Want to Work at This Café?
Just about any company that you apply to work for will want to know why you’re interested in working for them. The good news is that this is a relatively easy question to answer.
Start by responding about your skills and how they’ll transfer well to the particular café you’re applying for. This shows that you’re a great pick for the job and that you’ll bring value to the table.
You’ll also want to come up with a specific reason why you like this particular café or company. This shows the hiring manager that you don’t want to work at just any café, you want to work at this café.
3. How Would You Handle a Rush Shift at Work?
Cafés can be pretty stressful places to work, especially during their busy periods. And, not all people handle these types of rushes well, getting flustered or upset and losing their cool.
When hiring managers ask you this question, what they really want to find out is how you handle pressure and stress at work. Make sure that your answer shows that you know how to keep calm and stay controlled under stress. This will help showcase that you can handle busier shifts at the café without a problem.
4. How Would You Respond to an Upset Customer?
Like most retail and food service businesses, cafés see their fair share of upset customers. As a result, knowing how to handle them is key to your success at your job.
The best response to this question is to show the hiring manager how you would diffuse a sticky situation. This could be by listening to the customer’s complaints, offering a free drink or dessert according to store policy, or remaking their beverage or meal if they’re unsatisfied.
As a rule of thumb, when answering this question, you’ll also want to state that you’d put yourself in the customer’s shoes. This shows that you’re empathetic and calm when handling tricky situations.
5. How Do You Handle Conflict With Coworkers?
Although most of us get along well with our coworkers, sometimes there are conflicts that are bound to come up. Teamwork is a huge part of working at a café, which is why many hiring managers like to know how future employees would handle internal conflict.
When answering this question, make sure to respond that you’d listen to your coworker and try to understand their side of the problem. Then, offer solutions such as compromising or getting another opinion in order to resolve the conflict.
Showing the hiring manager that you know how to resolve conflict and work well in teams helps show them that you’d be able to collaborate with other team members in the café.
6. What Do You Do When Tasked With Repetitive Tasks at Work?
Some tasks in cafés can get pretty monotonous. This includes ringing customers up at the register or washing dishes. So, many hiring managers want to know how you’d respond to boredom and monotony when at work.
If you get asked this question, you’ll want to show the manager that you’re excited about the job. Explain why you’re passionate about working at the café and how this can keep you from getting bored on the job. This answer shows that you’ll maintain a strong attitude and keep completing tasks even when things get mundane.
7. Are You Comfortable Standing for Long Periods of Time?
Sometimes hiring managers will ask if you’re comfortable being on your feet for lengthy periods of time. Café workers often have to stand up while they work, many times not getting a break for several hours.
Be honest about your response to this question, but show the hiring manager that you don’t have a problem with this work style. Showing that you’re able to stand up for long periods of time helps show that you’ll be able to meet the demands of this position.
8. Do You Have Any Questions for Me?
In most job interviews, the interview will close with the hiring manager asking if there’s anything you’d like to ask them. This is a great way to show your interest in the position and in the company.
Try to ask questions that are specific to the position you’re applying for, or to the company that you’re hoping to work for. A couple of examples include:
- What type of growth opportunities are available at your café?
- What are some performance metrics that you use to determine if I’m doing a good job?
- Are there any new products that the company is considering offering?
Final Thoughts: Land Your Next Job at a Café
Whether you’ve always dreamt of working at your local café or you just want to pick up a new side hustle, these interview questions can help you be prepared. Knowing the types of interview questions you can expect to be asked helps you plan ahead to provide great answers to the hiring manager.
With that said, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and head out into the wonderful world of café work. Pretty soon, I’m confident you’ll land that job and be whipping up drool-worthy cappuccinos and platters of crunchy avocado toast!
