Barista spills the beans on what students really learn from that coffee shop job

Published: January 17, 2022

The freshman filling out the job application imagines pouring cups of coffee and wiping down tables—maybe opening a few boxes, stocking shelves, and taking out the trash. Upselling and hospitality don’t enter his mind. He’s never thought of a latte as a handcrafted drink.

But Bobbi Smith, longtime managing barista at Jo’s Java on campus, suspects that he’ll come around, much like her current crew of 11 students have come around.

“Coming around” means learning safety regulations, time management, solving problems, and sometimes babying aging equipment along. It means working a shift in tandem with Bobbi, who intentionally plays second fiddle to their lead. It means watching her build relationships with vendors and follow industry chatter on social media. Bobbi carries all the markers of someone who truly loves her work.

Students from l to r above: Bella Johnson serves Jesus Flores, and James Bowen prepares an order.

Campus jobs help students connect with people outside of their usual circles. Student workers hone new skills, build portfolios, and establish job references. Each day at Jo’s brings new lessons, some market related. Supply chain issues last fall meant shortages of plastic cups, smoothie mixes, and pumpkin spice flavorings. A frost in Central America drove the price of coffee up by 30 percent.

The rookie baristas deal with the problems even as they take a front row seat to Bobbi’s work ethic, ingenuity, and joy in a job well done. They can learn much from the one who can’t contain a smile when she says, “Give me a challenge, and I’ll figure a way around it.”

Pictured above, some of the brew crew at Jo’s Java. From l to r: Sean Striegler ’25, Emily Buratovich ’23, James Bowen ’22, manager and mentor Bobbi Smith, Alyson Fry ’25, and Bella Johnson ’25.