Barista — Craft Coffee, Fresh Food, Warm Service

Books A Million; Hattiesburg (MS); On-site; USD 12,000 - 21,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Health benefits: medical, dental, and視

401(k) plan with company matching

Paid time off

Employee discounts

Employee assistance program

Job summary

Books-A-Million is hiring a Barista for our in-store café. You’ll craft great coffee and specialty drinks, prepare fresh food, and keep the space clean and inviting.

You will own each drink, every transaction, and every customer interaction, ensuring a smooth shift and a memorable experience for every guest. Join a team focused on warmth, efficiency, and high standards in a fast-paced retail café environment.

Qualifications

• 16 years of age or older.
• Successful completion of all required background screenings.
• Genuine love of great coffee and food — with curiosity to learn about our café offerings, ingredients, and what customers are excited to try next.
• Strong communication and connection skills — creating warm, genuine interactions with customers and teammates.
• An ownership mindset — taking initiative, staying organized, and confidently balancing multiple priorities to keep the café running smoothly.
• Previous café, food service, retail, or customer service experience — bringing an understanding of what it takes to create a welcoming environment, serve customers well, and take pride in the details.
• Comfort with technology and transactions — using registers, café equipment, and other technology accurately while staying curious and willing to learn new systems and processes.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of the café and make every shift count. You’ll work independently for most of your shift, using your focus, pace, and judgment to keep the café running smoothly and create a great experience for every customer.
• Create the kind of café experience customers come back for. Bring skill and care to every interaction, crafting great coffee, specialty drinks, and fresh food that customers love —crafting every order like it is the customer’s new favorite item.
• Make someone's day memorable. Greet customers entering the store and café with genuine warmth, and provide exceptional customer service on each transaction.
• Bring genuine excitement to every customer interaction by highlighting customer benefits and company-sponsored programs that add value to their experience—just as naturally and enthusiastically as you’d recommend a great drink or café item.
• Take ownership of every transaction by balancing your cash drawer following each shift. Follow loss prevention standards and take pride in protecting our customers, our team, and the company.
• Create a café that feels as fresh and inviting as the products you serve by keeping the space clean, welcoming, and consistently aligned with all local, state, and federal sanitation standards.
• Create a café customers are excited to spend time in by keeping food surfaces, equipment, utensils, and customer areas clean, fresh, and ready for every guest.
• Stock and merchandise the café in accordance with company policies and procedures, maintaining a straight, organized, and clean shopping environment that invites customers to stay and explore.
• Every café shift is different, and great cafés run on teammates who are ready to jump in wherever they’re needed. Be someone your team can count on—supporting fellow café teammates, helping keep supplies stocked, assisting with cleaning and restocking, and stepping in across the store to keep the entire customer experience welcoming, seamless, and ready to go.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Coffee & food passion

Customer service

Ownership mindset

Cash handling

Technology & transactions

Job description

Books-A-Million is hiring a Barista for our in-store café. You’ll craft great coffee and specialty drinks, prepare fresh food, and keep the space clean and inviting.

You will own each drink, every transaction, and every customer interaction, ensuring a smooth shift and a memorable experience for every guest. Join a team focused on warmth, efficiency, and high standards in a fast-paced retail café environment.