Barista & staff shortages: How coffee shops can effectively manage them

Busy coffee shops thrive when a team of well-coordinated and intuitive baristas are working behind the bar. With streamlined workflow and excellent communication skills, baristas can tackle even the most sudden and hectic rushes.

But inevitably, there will be days when coffee shops are short staffed, and this can be stressful to say the least. 

Staff shortages have long been an issue in the service industry, and the pandemic seems to have only exacerbated the problem. Many coffee shops are still grappling with ongoing labour challenges, ranging from early closures and longer waiting times to employee burnout and lower staff retention rates.

It’s not all doom and gloom, however. Knowing how to handle staff shortages as effectively as possible presents a valuable opportunity for coffee shop owners to truly invest in their baristas.

To learn more, I spoke to Vivian Phelps, founder and owner of The Monk Coffee Roasters. Read on for more of his insight about how coffee shops can face staff shortages head on, and find ways to overcome them.

You may also like our article on how the role of the barista is changing in specialty coffee.

Addressing labour shortages in hospitality

No industry is immune to staff shortages, but this issue is often the most pervasive in the hospitality sector, including for coffee shops.

High turnover rates are a reality that the global hospitality industry has been experiencing for some time now. As hospitality jobs generally require fewer specific hard skills than other sectors, staff tend to receive less investment from their employers. In turn, workers feel less motivated to grow in their roles.

And quite frankly, the pandemic has made the situation worse. In July 2023, trade association UK Hospitality reported that national job vacancies were 48% higher than before Covid-19 – with fewer people incentivised to work in the hospitality sector. 

On top of this – in the context of the UK and the EU specifically – Brexit has also added to the strain. According to a 2021 Guardian article, more than 30% of hospitality staff in the UK were believed to have come from Europe prior to Brexit. This undoubtedly left a significant gap in the job market after the departure of EU workers.

Rising inflation & costs

Following the pandemic, rising food prices and energy costs have been affecting many people around the world. In March 2023, the BBC reported that food prices had reached a 45-year high in the UK, with many other countries also going through similar sharp price increases.

Of course, this had a profound impact on coffee businesses, and still continues to. Coffee shop and roastery owners had to either absorb additional costs – and place strain on already slim margins – or pass some of them onto consumers. Naturally, this only exacerbates barista and staff shortages.

Vivian Phelps is the founder and owner of The Monk Coffee Roasters in Ibiza, Spain – a relatively unique coffee market.

He says that unlike other northern European countries, the Specialty Coffee Association Spanish chapter was only recently established, “so finding trained Spanish baristas is difficult even without the general labour shortage in the hospitality sector”.

Housing costs have also contributed to staff issues. “Limited housing drives very high rents specific to Ibiza, exacerbated by the seasonal nature of our tourist industry,” Vivian explains. “Many hospitality businesses also close for six months every year.”

The problems with staff shortages

It’s inevitable that coffee shops will face staff shortages, so knowing what to expect is key.

One of the most prevalent problems is the physical and mental stress placed on staff. A 2023 World Coffee Portal study of US hospitality workers found that 90% had worked extra shifts in 2022, with 75% doing so because of staffing shortages.

The same study also found that 56% of employees felt burnt out, and 27% of respondents didn’t plan on working in the hospitality industry in the long term – citing feeling overworked and undercompensated.

Working in coffee shops can be fast-paced, with unpredictable schedules, physically and mentally demanding tasks, and long hours. Handling staff shortages on top of this can be incredibly challenging.

Moreover, when employees are stretched too thin, beverage quality and consistency can slip, as can customer service. If staff shortages persist and these problems become more frequent, coffee shops can risk losing customers.

For business owners and managers, dealing with high rates of employee turnover can be very costly. When a skilled barista leaves, it can be difficult to hire and train an equally passionate and proficient new employee. 

“The costs of mitigating these challenges needs to be factored in,” Vivian says. “Barista training and retention are major considerations, and you need to create incentives for staff to stay.”

Coffee shop owners and managers, however, can struggle to fully invest in their baristas if they also have to resolve other staffing problems at the same time. Sadly, a lack of training and support can leave employees feeling frustrated, unprepared, and dissatisfied with their jobs.

Regional-specific challenges

Staff shortages are a global problem for the hospitality sector, but certain regions and markets are often more affected.

For instance, Vivian tells me The Monk Coffee Roasters rents residential spaces in Ibiza for its staff. 

“Even if we pay staff higher salaries, finding an apartment in the high season is extremely difficult,” he says. “Additionally, rental prices can also increase in this period by up to 100%.”

Vivian adds he also had to look for trained baristas from other EU (and non-EU) countries as a result of staff shortages in Spain. He says he used PDG Jobs – a jobs board with opportunities from some of the most established names in the specialty coffee sector – to broaden the hiring pool.

“We needed to reach a wider audience outside of Spain, and PDG Jobs was a great resource,” he tells me.

PDG Jobs hosts a wide variety of industry job listings – including roasting, managerial, and green coffee buying positions. The platform is regularly updated so coffee professionals can stay informed about the latest available roles.

Investing in baristas is essential

The best – and arguably only – way for coffee shop owners and managers to mitigate these challenges is to invest in their staff. This can mean many things, including:

• Providing more training opportunities.
• Cultivating a supportive learning environment where baristas can gain confidence in their skills. 
• Encouraging two-way and open communication to resolve disputes and address concerns.

With barista roles sometimes perceived as temporary or “stop gap” jobs, employers need to offer opportunities which allow for long-term career growth, so baristas can develop their skills, move into management and leadership roles, and work on their professional development.

“An inclusive company culture where career growth and opportunities are provided is key to staff retention and avoiding barista shortages,” Vivian says.

Investing in baristas’ career progression can help employees feel more supported and valued, and see a longer, more sustainable future working in coffee. Baristas and other coffee professionals can explore different career paths using industry-specific job boards like PDG Jobs.

Managing staff shortages as a team

If the inevitable happens and a coffee shop has to handle a staff shortage, boosting employee morale is crucial. And this largely stems from creating a working culture that encourages baristas to share their feedback and opinions.

To do this, coffee shop owners and managers must first know what their employees need. Establishing a two-way communication loop gives staff a chance to have their say. 

Listening to employees is key to retaining them. For instance, do they want to rotate roles throughout their shift to keep them on their toes? Do they need more frequent breaks or different shift lengths? Acknowledging these concerns and addressing them as sustainably as possible can help to minimise the risk of staff shortages in the first place.

As staff shortages persist following the pandemic, coffee shop owners must proactively address these issues to best support their baristas. Investing in employees will cultivate a supportive and healthy workplace to build a healthy and cohesive team.

If you’re a coffee professional looking for the next step in your career, job boards like PDG Jobs can be a great place to start. Coffee businesses can also use these platforms to cast a wider net for their open positions, and highlight how they can support new staff.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on what barista unionisations mean for specialty coffee.

Photo credits: The Monk Coffee Roasters

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