Barista

American Gardens is home to our specialty coffee cart within the park. This role will bring an elevated, design-forward, and hospitality-driven coffee experience to Charleston, serving both daily park guests and selective BHC hospitality venues. As a Barista, you will be an ambassador of both coffee and hospitality, preparing exceptional beverages while delivering gracious service that reflects the ultra-luxury standards of Beemok Hospitality Collection (BHC).

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Greet guests warmly, sharing the story of American Gardens and the inspiration behind the coffee program.
• Prepare espresso-based drinks, brewed coffee, and specialty beverages at the highest standard of quality and consistency.
• Demonstrate extensive knowledge of coffee beans, brewing techniques, and flavor profiles, confidently answering questions and making personalized recommendations.
• Operate and maintain all coffee equipment, including espresso machines, grinders, and brewing tools.
• Manage daily setup, breakdown, and restocking of the cart, coordinating with shared services when necessary.
• Monitor inventory of coffee, milk, cups, and other supplies, placing restock requests in a timely manner.
• Accurately and efficiently handle all guest transactions using the POS system.
• Ensure the cart and surrounding area remain clean, organized, and compliant with all health, sanitation, and safety standards.
• Support Park activations, seasonal events, and brand pop-ups
• Collaborate with American Gardens leadership and the Sales & Marketing team to execute promotional activations.
• Ensure product presentation, service style, and guest interaction align with BHC’s luxury brand positioning.
• Follow all food safety, sanitation, and handling procedures, especially regarding dairy and perishable items.
• Promptly report any equipment or safety concerns to leadership.
• Remain calm, attentive, and solution-focused when responding to guest concerns or emergencies.
• Participate in barista training sessions, tastings, and team meetings.
• Contribute to ongoing quality control efforts and provide guest feedback to leadership.
• Assist with daily cash-outs and reporting.

REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:

• Previous barista or fast-paced food & beverage service experience preferred.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with a natural hospitality mindset.
• Basic math skills and proficiency with point-of-sale systems.
• Ability to stand, move, and perform repetitive tasks for extended periods outdoors.
• Current or pending food handler certification.
• Experience with specialty coffee and latte art a plus.
• Familiarity with food and beverage safety codes.
• Passion for hospitality, events, and storytelling.
• Availability for weekends, holidays, and early morning or evening shifts.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a Barista to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Most work tasks are performed indoors.  Temperature is moderate and controlled by restaurant environmental systems; however, must be able to work in extreme temperatures like freezers (-10°F) and kitchens (+110°F), possibly for one hour or more.
• Must be able to stand and exert well-paced mobility for at least 8 hours in length. 
• Must be able to exert a well-paced ability to maneuver between functions occurring simultaneously.
• Must be able to exert a well-paced ability to reach other departments of the restaurant on a timely basis.
• Must be able to lift trays of food or food items weighing up to 30 lbs. on a regular and continuing basis.
• Must be able to push and pull carts and equipment weighing up to 250 lbs. frequently.
• Must be able to exert well-paced ability in limited space and to reach other locations of the restaurant on a timely basis.
• Must be able to exert well-paced ability in limited space.
• Must be able to bend, stoop, squat, and stretch to fulfill cleaning tasks.
• Requires grasping, writing, standing, sitting, walking, repetitive motions, bending, climbing, stooping, crouching, kneeling, listening, hearing, and visual acuity.
• Talking and hearing occur continuously in the process of communicating with guests, supervisors, and subordinates.
• Vision occurs continuously with the most common visual functions being those of near vision and depth perception.
• Requires manual dexterity to use and operate all necessary equipment.
• Safely lift and easily maneuver plates, cases of water, chairs, and dining room tables.

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

BHC is an equal employment opportunity employer.  Employment decisions are based on merit and business needs, and are not based on race, color, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, marital status, veteran status, uniformed service, political affiliation, genetic information, or any other factor or characteristic protected by applicable law. BHC participates in E-Verify.