Lead Barista Jobs
Lead Barista jobs are open across specialty coffee shops, hotel food and beverage operations, and corporate cafe environments, at every level from shift lead to senior barista trainer, with specializations in espresso bar management, beverage program development, and team coaching. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Showing 5 of 189+ Lead Barista jobs
What We Offer:
- $20 - $23 / hour (based on experience)
- 50% off organic meals daily
- 20% off in-store purchases
- Bonuses and sales rewards (for some departments)
- HUGE opportunities for career growth 401k with 4% match, Paid Vacation, Health Benefits and much more…
- Prepare all coffee, tea and espresso based drinks ordered while maintaining high productivity levels.
- Maintain coffee quality standards and assist Coffee Trainer in ensuring recipes are up to date.
- Provide excellent customer service and address needs of customers in a timely and effective manner.
- Maintain accurate department signage and pricing.
- Maintain back stock in good order.
- Maintain a safe, clean and well-organized working and shopping environment.
- Assist with the sampling program, keeping sample areas full, clean, and appealing.
- Follow and comply with established procedures, including Weights and Measures, health and sanitation, and adhere to safe work practices.
- Operate and sanitize all equipment in a safe and proper manner
- Implement and instill in your team company policies, procedures and ethics.
- Handle customer complaints.
- Train at other Erewhon locations, if necessary.
- Implement operational standards for the Tonic/Coffee program and Oversee Standards and Quality of Coffee Program.
- Support skill building for all Tonic employees by providing honest and constructive feedback on drink quality and techniques.
- Coach and train to ensure we always meet our high standards of quality and deliciousness for every beverage and food item served in your cafe.
- Assist Manager and Shift Leads in maintaining inventory of things necessary to the success of the Coffee Program, including milk, paper goods, towels, cleaning supplies etc. Other duties as assigned by management.
- 2 years minimum experience as a Barista and Juice or Smoothie Bar Lead required.
- Great communication skills. Great time management skills.
To all recruitment agencies: We do not accept unsolicited agency resumes and are not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.
By applying, you agree to Erewhon's Notice of Collection policy and all its terms and conditions: https://www.erewhonmarket.com/notice_at_collection_applicant/
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An Automated Decision System (ADS) is employed in the assessment of applicants for the positions being recruited for in order to gauge the following pertinent qualifications or traits:
- The candidate’s ability to perform the tasks in the available job role.
- The candidate's self-rated skill proficiency.
- The candidate’s fit for this job posting.
What We Offer:
- $20 - $23 / hour (based on experience)
- 50% off organic meals daily
- 20% off in-store purchases
- Bonuses and sales rewards (for some departments)
- HUGE opportunities for career growth 401k with 4% match, Paid Vacation, Health Benefits and much more…
- Prepare all coffee, tea and espresso based drinks ordered while maintaining high productivity levels.
- Maintain coffee quality standards and assist Coffee Trainer in ensuring recipes are up to date.
- Provide excellent customer service and address needs of customers in a timely and effective manner.
- Maintain accurate department signage and pricing.
- Maintain back stock in good order.
- Maintain a safe, clean and well-organized working and shopping environment.
- Assist with the sampling program, keeping sample areas full, clean, and appealing.
- Follow and comply with established procedures, including Weights and Measures, health and sanitation, and adhere to safe work practices.
- Operate and sanitize all equipment in a safe and proper manner
- Implement and instill in your team company policies, procedures and ethics.
- Handle customer complaints.
- Train at other Erewhon locations, if necessary.
- Implement operational standards for the Tonic/Coffee program and Oversee Standards and Quality of Coffee Program.
- Support skill building for all Tonic employees by providing honest and constructive feedback on drink quality and techniques.
- Coach and train to ensure we always meet our high standards of quality and deliciousness for every beverage and food item served in your cafe.
- Assist Manager and Shift Leads in maintaining inventory of things necessary to the success of the Coffee Program, including milk, paper goods, towels, cleaning supplies etc. Other duties as assigned by management.
- 2 years minimum experience as a Barista and Juice or Smoothie Bar Lead required.
- Great communication skills. Great time management skills.
To all recruitment agencies: We do not accept unsolicited agency resumes and are not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.
By applying, you agree to Erewhon's Notice of Collection policy and all its terms and conditions: https://www.erewhonmarket.com/notice_at_collection_applicant/
-
An Automated Decision System (ADS) is employed in the assessment of applicants for the positions being recruited for in order to gauge the following pertinent qualifications or traits:
- The candidate’s ability to perform the tasks in the available job role.
- The candidate's self-rated skill proficiency.
- The candidate’s fit for this job posting.
See All 189+ Lead Barista Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Lead Barista JobsLead Barista Job Market
Who's Hiring
- Aramark24
- Dunkin'10
- Barnes & Noble9
- Harris Teeter7
- Ralph Lauren6
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in lead barista jobs.
- Two or more years of barista experience with demonstrated espresso bar proficiency
- Experience training, coaching, or supervising junior barista staff
- Ability to open or close the bar and manage cash handling procedures
- Familiarity with commercial espresso machines, grinders, and routine equipment calibration
- Food handler certification or ServSafe certification as required by local regulations
- Experience with inventory management, ordering, and waste tracking for bar supplies
Tips for Your Lead Barista Job Search
Tailor your resume to the bar
List the specific espresso equipment you've operated, the volume you've handled, and any menu items you developed. Hiring managers for lead roles want to see your bar proficiency and your influence on team output, not just years worked.
Highlight your training and coaching work
Lead barista postings consistently ask for experience onboarding or mentoring junior staff. Call out any training you've led, even informally. Specific details like calibrating grinders or running bar drills are more persuasive than vague claims about leadership.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists lead barista openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Target postings that match your format
Lead barista roles vary significantly between high-volume drive-through operations, specialty slow-bar programs, and hotel banquets. Filter for the format you know best and frame your application around pace, volume, or craft depending on what that employer values.
Prepare for a working interview
Many coffee employers ask lead candidates to pull shots and dial in a grinder on the spot. Practice your bar sequence before you go in. Know your extraction ratios, be ready to explain your tasting notes, and expect questions about how you'd correct a junior barista's technique.
Negotiate beyond base pay
Lead barista offers often include tip pool access, meal benefits, education reimbursement for coffee certifications, and scheduling priority. Ask about each one before accepting. These perks vary widely and are almost always negotiable at the lead level.
Lead Barista Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most lead baristas?
The most active employers for lead baristas right now are Aramark, Dunkin', and Barnes & Noble, and the most openings are in California, Massachusetts, and Texas, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Volume shifts seasonally, so checking back regularly gives you the most current picture of which employers are actively hiring.
How many lead barista jobs are remote?
About 2% of lead barista openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting the mostly in-person nature of bar operations. The sub-areas most likely to offer remote or flexible arrangements are beverage program consulting, coffee education and training coordination, and corporate food and beverage advisory roles.
How do you become a lead barista?
Start by building consistent bar technique across espresso, milk steaming, and manual brew methods, then seek out environments where you can take on opening and closing responsibilities. Pursue a recognized coffee certification such as those offered through the Specialty Coffee Association to formalize your skills. Ask your current manager for opportunities to train new hires, since documented coaching experience is what most lead postings require before they'll interview you.
Can you get hired as a lead barista without much experience?
Some employers will hire into a lead barista role if your bar technique is strong and you can demonstrate responsibility through examples outside coffee, such as shift supervision or team training in a related food service role. Focus your application on any time you've taken initiative, managed a task independently, or helped a coworker improve. Smaller independent cafes are generally more open to promoting candidates who show strong potential over those with a long title history.
What does the lead barista interview process look like?
Most lead barista interviews start with a phone or video screen where the manager asks about your bar background and availability. An in-person interview follows, often including a working component where you're asked to pull shots, dial in a grinder, or walk through how you'd handle a rush. Expect at least one question about how you'd address a performance issue with a junior team member, since leadership judgment is central to what employers are evaluating.
Where can I find and apply to lead barista jobs?
You can find and apply to lead barista jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Search for roles that match your experience level, bar format, and location, then apply directly to each listing that fits. Applying as soon as a role goes live gives you the best chance of moving forward before the pool fills.
See All 189+ Lead Barista Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Lead Barista Jobs