Barista Hospitality Team Member

Juniper Cafe, LLC; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 29,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

Juniper Cafe in San Francisco seeks a Barista & Hospitality Team Member to provide warm, guest-focused service and craft pastries and beverages. You’ll help create a welcoming cafe environment, assist guests with menu guidance, and support bakery operations with care.

The role emphasizes hospitality, teamwork, and knowledge-sharing about our coffee and pastries, contributing to a memorable Juniper experience for every guest.

Qualifications

• Hospitality mindset and genuine guest care.
• Strong customer service with a smile and professionalism.
• Clear communication with guests and teammates.
• Keen attention to detail in pastries, coffee, and service.
• Ability to take ownership and follow through on tasks.

Responsibilities

• Welcome guests warmly and create an exceptional cafe experience.
• Build relationships through attentive, sincere service and menu guidance.
• Share knowledge about pastries, coffee origins, and ingredients.
• Maintain pastry displays, case cleanliness, and beverage presentation.
• Prepare beverages to Juniper standards with consistent quality.
• Collaborate with kitchen and bar to ensure smooth service.

Skills

Hospitality mindset

Customer service

Communication

Attention to detail

Ownership of work

Job description

Juniper Barista & Hospitality Team Member

Creating extraordinary hospitality through artisan baking, exceptional coffee, and meaningful human connection.

Reports To: FOH Café Lead
Locations: Juniper San Francisco
Classification: Hourly
Availability: Full-time (30+ hours per week), Minimum 4 days per week.

Compensation: $21/hour + tips

ABOUT JUNIPER

Come work with a company that believes extraordinary hospitality begins long before our doors open.

Every morning, while most of the city is still asleep, our bakers are laminating croissants, shaping dough, preparing fillings, and carefully crafting each pastry by hand. Those pastries are served alongside exceptional coffee from our sister company, Saint Frank Coffee, creating experiences that nourish, delight, and bring people together.

At Juniper, we believe the smallest details matter because they communicate care. Every fold of dough, every layer of butter, every cup of coffee, every conversation with a guest, and every beautifully stocked pastry case reflects our belief that craftsmanship and hospitality are inseparable.

Whether you're welcoming guests at the front door, preparing coffee, presenting pastries, working in the kitchen, or leading the café, every role contributes to creating a place where people feel welcomed, nourished, and cared for.

We believe exceptional cafés are built by people who pursue excellence with humility, who love serving others, and who understand that thoughtfully made food and genuine hospitality have the power to elevate everyday life.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

We believe hospitality is more than friendly service. It's anticipating needs before they're expressed. It's noticing the guest looking around for a seat. It's remembering a regular's favorite pastry. It's presenting every croissant with the same care that went into baking it. We believe details communicate care.

Every pastry, every cup of coffee, and every interaction is an opportunity to make someone's day just a little better.

ROLE OVERVIEW

The Barista is the heart of the Juniper experience.

Every guest's experience begins with a warm welcome and ends with a memorable meal. Whether introducing someone to the morning's pastries, preparing an exceptional coffee, or creating a genuine moment of connection, our Baristas help make Juniper feel like a place people can't wait to return to.

More than serving beautiful pastries and exceptional coffee, our Baristas cultivate warmth, attentiveness, and joy. They care deeply about people, appreciate craftsmanship, and believe every guest deserves to leave feeling seen, cared for, and inspired.

At Juniper, we believe extraordinary hospitality begins the moment someone walks through the door. Through thoughtful service, continual learning, and a commitment to excellence, our Baristas bring that vision to life every day.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

• Creates genuine moments of hospitality with every guest.
• Welcomes guests with warmth and confidence from the moment they enter.
• Takes pride in beautifully presenting pastries and beverages.
• Learn the story behind our pastries and coffee and share that knowledge naturally.
• Notices the little details because they understand they shape the guest experience.
• Works collaboratively and contributes to a joyful team culture.
• Takes ownership of their work and follows through.
• Helps create an environment where teammates and guests alike feel welcomed, respected, and inspired.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Hospitality

Hospitality is at the center of everything we do.

Responsibilities include:

• Welcome every guest warmly and create an exceptional café experience.
• Build meaningful relationships through attentive, genuine service.
• Guide guests through our menu and share knowledge with humility & enthusiasm.
• Handle guest questions and concerns with professionalism and care.
• Help create a café environment that reflects warmth, joy & belonging.
• Show hospitality through maintaining a clean, organized and beautiful work space.

Bakery Service & Knowledge

Showcasing and sharing our bakery menu with knowledge and deep care & respect for the work of the kitchen team.

Responsibilities include:

• Thorough knowledge and memorization of our pastries, seasonal offerings, & ingredients.
• Engage guests with comprehensive product knowledge - origin, producer, terroir, technique/formative processes, and allergens.
• Maintain a beautiful pastry case & present every item with care.

Coffee & Beverage Craft

Pursue excellence in every beverage while continually growing your knowledge and skill.

Responsibilities include:

• Prepare all coffee and beverages to Juniper standards while continually refining your skills.
• Teamwork & Stewardship of the bar and bar area through care for equipment, following food safety standards, and embodying Juniper's values.
• Maintain a clean, organized and efficient workspace.
• Maintain beverage consistency and quality throughout every shift.
• Learn about our coffees, producers, brewing method and sourcing philosophy.

Food Service & Preparation

• Communicating order needs to support the production cycle.
• Clear & ongoing communicating with the kitchen to ensure smooth & efficient service.
• Forecasting ingredients/product needs and proactively communicating with the team.
• Use of kitchen cues to ensure smooth operations in a busy kitchen environment.

Teamwork

Great cafés are built by great teams.

Responsibilities include:

• Work collaboratively and communicate respectfully with teammates.
• Support fellow team members during busy periods.
• Receive and give feedback with humility and professionalism.
• Contribute to a positive, accountable, and encouraging work environment.
• Embody Saint Frank's mission, philosophy, and values every day.

Stewardship of the Café

Care for the café makes up the Juniper café experience.

Responsibilities include:

• Maintaining Food Handler standards at all times.
• Maintaining Juniper quality standards for beverage production, food & pastry prep, ingredient production and cleanliness standards.
• Complete opening, closing, and daily operational responsibilities.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and welcoming café environment.
• Follow food safety, sanitation, and health department standards.
• Properly care for café equipment and communicate maintenance concerns.
• Complete daily task lists and contribute to the overall success of the café.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• Humble, kind, dependable, and curious while working in a fast-paced kitchen environment.
• Passionate about serving others.
• Appreciates craftsmanship and beautiful food.
• Notices details others overlook.
• Communicates respectfully and takes ownership of their work.

GROWTH AT JUNIPER

Grow through hospitality training, coffee education, pastry knowledge, leadership development, and ongoing mentorship as Juniper continues to grow.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Ability to perform the following essential job functions, with or without reasonable accommodation:

• Ability to stand and move throughout the café for up to eight hours per shift.
• Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to safely handle hot beverages, bakery products, and café equipment while communicating kitchen cues.
• Ability to perform repetitive tasks including espresso preparation and stocking the pastry case.
• Ability to bend, reach, kneel, squat, climb stairs, and work efficiently in a fast-paced bakery café while maintaining exceptional attention to detail.
• Communicate clearly with customers and team members, accurately take and confirm orders, and respond promptly to verbal instructions and safety cues in a busy café environment.

WHY JUNIPER?

At Juniper, we're building much more than a neighborhood bakery. We're creating a place where craftsmanship, hospitality, and community come together. Every croissant, every cup of coffee, and every conversation is an opportunity to make someone's day a little brighter. _

Juniper Cafe is an equal opportunity employer. _