Lead Barista

First Bloom started as a charming little corner store in Bloomville, New York — a place where you could find groceries, produce and most ingredients you’d need to make a wonderful meal (plus, a few things just to make you happy). It was small. It was specific. People drove a long way to get there and we’d like to think it was worth it.

This fall, we’re opening a second location in Brooklyn Heights. It will be bigger and more ambitious than what we built upstate. There will be a small cafe with fabulous prepared foods, a cozy wine bar, a retail floor with spectacular produce, and a really great coffee program.

We’re looking for an opening Lead Barista who can help us bring that coffee program to life. Someone who cares deeply about making an excellent cup of coffee, but just as much about making someone’s morning a little nicer. Someone who is warm, quick, curious, organized and calm when there are dozens of people waiting for cappuccinos.

You’ll work closely with the management team to set the standard for coffee, hospitality, and service. You’ll be the day-to-day point person for the barista team — helping train and support them, answering questions, and making sure everyone is consistently working to the First Bloom standard. You’ll know the coffee program inside and out and make sure the cafe feels considered, welcoming, and exceptionally well run.

• Lead the day-to-day coffee bar operation , keeping service organized, stocked and moving smoothly — even when it’s busy (which it will be!). Staff Baristas will look to you for direction during their shifts, and you’ll work closely with and report to the management team.

• Make really excellent coffee, consistently. Maintain recipes and standards for preparation, presentation and quality across the program.

• Train and support the barista team on coffee, recipes, equipment and service. You should feel comfortable teaching, demonstrating, answering questions and giving kind, useful feedback in the moment. You won’t be responsible for formal performance management, but you should be comfortable addressing issues as they arise and keeping the management team informed.

• Know the coffee program inside and out: what we’re serving, where it came from, how it tastes and why we chose it. Know the rest of the First Bloom menu, too. Coffee is your specialty, but the whole counter is your responsibility.

• Maintain opening and closing procedures and checklists , making sure the coffee bar is properly set up for service and thoughtfully left for the next shift. Help us improve those systems as we figure out what works best.

• Manage coffee inventory , including receiving, storage and rotation. Know what we have, what we need and what we’re going through faster than expected.

• Take excellent care of the equipment , including routine cleaning and maintenance, and communicate repair or service needs before they become emergencies.

• Communicate clearly with the management team about service, staffing, training and inventory, and pitch in with physical inventory, merchandising, special projects and the other things that inevitably come up when running an ambitious small business.

• 3+ years of experience as a barista, ideally working on a manual espresso machine in a busy, quality-driven coffee program.
• Strong coffee knowledge and a genuine desire to keep learning.
• Experience in a high-volume, customer-facing hospitality environment.
• Experience training and leading other baristas. You don’t need to have formally managed a team, but you should feel comfortable giving direction, demonstrating how things should be done, offering feedback and holding your peers to a high standard.
• A natural sense of hospitality. You notice people, remember regulars and understand that how you make someone feel matters just as much as what’s in their cup.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to stay organized and kind when things get busy.
• Good instincts and high standards for quality, cleanliness and presentation.
• Low ego, high standards. You’re happy to lead, happy to listen and happy to jump in wherever you’re needed.
• Flexibility! Both logistically and in spirit.
• Genuine enthusiasm for coffee, food, cooking and the kind of independent businesses that make a neighborhood worth living in.

• Experience helping open a new cafe, restaurant or retail business.
• Experience developing or implementing coffee training programs.
• Familiarity with Toast and/or similar POS systems.
• Familiarity with New York coffee, food and hospitality.
• You’ve read Alison’s newsletter or at least cooked a recipe or two. Familiarity with her style will be helpful in knowing how this place is going to come to life.

• $26/hour + tips
• Dining and retail discounts
• Coffee and staff meal while working

• Full-time in Brooklyn Heights
• Must be able to stand and walk for extended periods, lift and move up to 30 lbs., and perform the physical tasks required to operate and maintain the coffee bar.
• A current New York City Food Protection Certificate is required.