Good memories but disappointing corporate direction. - Barista Blue Bottle Coffee Employee Review

2.0
Aug 7, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Extensive coffee program and educational resources. - Free coffee beans and samples. - Making coffee with state of the art equipment. - Ability to pick up shifts at various locations. - Good tips. - Servicing your local community and making connections with people. - Health insurance benefits are great.

Cons

- Hourly wages are low compared to what the company is making and putting into expansion projects. - Diminished incentive and low (or no) rewards for high-performing baristas. - - Annual review raises are a joke. - Corporate agenda has taken over and eradicated incentives for baristas to shine. - Declining cafe experiences between locations. - Hiring standards for baristas are at an all-time low. - Working with new baristas that are babies and with little coffee experience. - Sometimes expected to train new hires, which is extra time/energy, with no extra compensation or recognition. - Company has depleted the workforce, hiring younger and younger. - Company reputation and brand is diminishing and becoming a bourgeois chain. - Older, seasoned veteran baristas have all left. - Cafes popping up everywhere like wildfire, causing understaffing and management difficulty. - Tacky dress codes per cafe. - To take time off, you have to put in the work to find coverage for your shifts. Good luck trying to find extended coverage for a week or longer.

Explore other reviews about Blue Bottle Coffee

5.0
Jul 7, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- supportive environment - good training

Cons

- uniform - new management

3.0
Jul 7, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Regular mock inspection, maintenance schedule that is thoroughly followed, high quality coffee, correct compensations for staying after scheduled hours, last-minute schedule change, etc.

Cons

NYC Moynihan hall: no structure in store training, no coffee tasting education, emphasis on smile at all times over everything else, helicopter area manager, disorganized prep

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