Onboarding plan
Barista Onboarding Plan (30-60-90 Days)
A practical, printable plan to take a new barista from first day to full productivity.
Barista onboarding at a glance
Week one covers orientation, safety and shadowing. Days 1–30 build vocabulary and supervised practice on core procedures; days 31–60 move to independent work with competency sign-offs; days 61–90 focus on full productivity, cross-training and a credential plan.
Before day one
- Confirm start date, schedule, pay and supervisor in writing
- Verify required credentials: Food handler card, Specialty Coffee Association courses (as applicable)
- Prepare equipment and access: espresso machines; grinders; milk pitchers and thermometers; brewers
- Assign a buddy or preceptor
- Enroll the new hire in Barista training so foundations are covered before or during week one
Week one: orient and protect
- Workplace tour, emergency procedures and incident reporting
- Use care with steam wands and hot water
- Clean spills immediately
- Follow allergen procedures for milk alternatives
- Lift supplies properly
- Shadow an experienced barista through a full shift
- Training modules 1–3: role foundations, a day on the job and essential vocabulary (15 terms)
Days 1–30: learn
Goal: perform core tasks safely under supervision.
- Supervised practice: pull a shot of espresso
- Supervised practice: steam milk for a latte
- Supervised practice: handle a morning rush
- Training modules 4–7: duties, step-by-step tasks, tools and safety
- 30-day check-in: confidence, questions and early wins
Days 31–60: contribute
Goal: handle a regular workload independently.
- Take orders and handle payments: independently
- Prepare espresso drinks and brewed coffee: independently
- Steam and texture milk: independently
- Prepare teas, blended drinks and food items: independently
- Competency sign-offs completed (see checklist below)
- Training final knowledge check and certificate of completion
- 60-day check-in
Days 61–90: own
Goal: full productivity and a growth plan.
- Meet productivity and quality targets for the role
- Begin cross-training on a secondary task
- Agree on a credential goal (for example, Food handler card)
- Discuss the career path: Barista → Shift Supervisor → Trainer or Roaster
- 90-day review
Competency checklist
| Skill or task | Trained | Observed | Signed off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pull a Shot of Espresso | |||
| Steam Milk for a Latte | |||
| Handle a Morning Rush | |||
| Espresso extraction | |||
| Milk steaming | |||
| Drink recipes | |||
| POS systems |
How to measure onboarding success
- Days to independent shifts
- Health inspection and audit results
- Guest satisfaction and review scores
- 30- and 90-day retention
How Barista training maps to this plan
- Introduction to the Barista Role
- A Day on the Job
- Essential Barista Vocabulary
- Core Duties and Responsibilities
- Common Tasks, Step by Step
- Tools, Equipment and Technology
- Safety, Compliance and Professional Standards
- Skills Employers Look For
- Launching Your Barista Career
- Final Knowledge Check