Experienced Barista | Thu-Sun | 22-25 Hours/WeekQueer Plants Cafe - Portland, OregonQueer Plants Cafe is a dreamy plant shop meets cozy cafe in Portland's Cully neighborhood. We re looking for an experienced barista to join our small team for a consistent Thursday-Sunday schedule, approximately 22-25 hours per week.

This position is being hired through a paid working interview. Rather than relying solely on a traditional sit-down interview, qualified applicants will be invited to work alongside our team so we can mutually experience what it s like to work together in an actual caf environment.

We're a busy neighborhood cafe surrounded by plants, serving handcrafted espresso drinks, matcha, botanical beverages, breakfast and lunch in a joyful, welcoming environment. We care deeply about both the quality of what goes across the counter and the experience of the person standing on the other side of it.

What You ll DoThis position combines traditional barista work with customer service and general cafe responsibilities, including:

Preparing handcrafted espresso drinks on a traditional commercial espresso machineManually steaming and texturing milk, including producing proper microfoamPulling espresso shots and working confidently with portafiltersPreparing lattes, cappuccinos, americanos, mochas and other cafe beveragesProviding warm, attentive and efficient customer serviceTaking customer orders using our SpotOn POS systemMaintaining a clean, organized and well-stocked barWorking efficiently and calmly during busy service periodsCollaborating with a small team to keep cafe service moving smoothlyWhat We're Looking ForThis role requires existing traditional espresso-bar experience. We provide training on Queer Plants Caf 's menu, recipes and workflow, but this position is not intended to teach foundational espresso preparation or milk steaming.

You should be comfortable working in a fast-paced cafe , genuinely enjoy interacting with customers, and be able to move between drink production, order taking and other cafe responsibilities as needed.

Queer Plants Cafe is an LGBTQ+ welcoming workplace and community space. Applicants must be comfortable using and respecting gender-neutral and non-gender-based pronouns and providing welcoming service to people of all identities.

Schedule & PerksSchedule:

Thursday SundayHours:

Approximately 22-25 hours per weekEmployees receive:

TipsFree meal during each shiftEmployee discountsConsistent weekly scheduleA creative, plant-filled workplace with a small teamBarista Experience ChecklistPlease check ONLY skills you have performed independently in a working cafe environment:

I have regularly used a commercial espresso machine with a manual steam wand.

I can manually steam and texture milk to appropriate standards for lattes and cappuccinos.

I can produce microfoam, rather than simply heating or frothing milk.

I have experience pulling espresso shots and using a portafilter on a traditional espresso machine.

I can make standard espresso drinks latte, cappuccino, americano, mocha, etc. without needing basic barista training.

I have performed these skills during busy cafe service, not solely during training.

If your primary barista experience was on automated or superautomatic equipment, where espresso and/or milk steaming was performed by pressing a button this isn't a good fit.

Espresso ExperienceApproximately how long have you worked on a traditional/manual commercial espresso machine?

NoneLess than 6 months6 12 months1 2 years2+ yearsQPC provides training on our menu, recipes and workflow. This position requires existing espresso and milk-steaming fundamentals.

Paid Working InterviewSelected applicants will be invited to a paid working interview at Queer Plants Caf . You'll work alongside our team in the caf so we can see your espresso fundamentals, customer-service style, pace and comfort behind the bar and so you can get a genuine feel for QPC before deciding whether the position feels right for you.

We believe a working interview should work both ways.

If you're an experienced barista who enjoys great customer service, appreciates an inclusive workplace, and wants to work somewhere a little different from the ordinary coffee shop, we'd love to meet you.