Lead Barista – Strange Fellows

Role Details

Start Date: September 1st, 2026

Type: Full Time – 30-40 hours per week

Remuneration: TBD and based upon experience, includes benefits

Reporting to: Tasting Room General Manager

Strange Fellows

Strange Fellows Brewing is part of the most awesome craft beer scene in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. We are a craft brewery that celebrates the unique, the strange and especially the peculiar things in life. We are very excited to be joining the world of specialty coffee, and as part of that, we are opening a café at our tasting room, which will serve specialty coffee and connect with our community.

We are looking to add a dynamic, positive, and hard-working person to our team … you might say another stranger.

Role Summary

We are looking for a visionary Head Barista to lead the launch of our new coffee program. You will be instrumental in providing insight into designing our beverage menu, establishing pricing, and creating the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that will define our brand. This is a leadership role that blends technical mastery with business development and team mentorship. You will report to our Tasting Room General Manager.

Key Responsibilities

1. Program Design & Menu Development

- Curate Offerings: Along with our senior team, you will help develop a core beverage program, including espresso-based drinks, batch brews, a quality tea program, and other components as agreed upon. Also, ensure espresso machine and grinders are optimized for barista use.
- Signature Drinks: Innovate seasonal specials, customer offerings, and unique signature items to differentiate our position in the local market.
- Sourcing: Consult on bean selection, roasting profiles, and milk/alternative milk partnerships to ensure premium quality.
- Feedback:



Provide service and customer feedback on coffee inventory, pastry items, staff, efficiencies, challenges, and anything else with our café concept.

2. Financial Strategy & Pricing

- Pricing Structure: Assist management in setting competitive yet profitable price points for all menu items based on ingredient costs and market analysis.
- Cost Management: Monitor waste, manage "par" stock levels for inventory, and identify opportunities for cost-saving without sacrificing quality.
- Upselling Strategy: Train staff on effective customer service, barista strategies and efficiency, and techniques to improve our experience for customers.

3. Operational Foundation

- Standardize Recipes: Create detailed, step-by-step SOPs for every beverage to ensure 100% consistency across all shifts.
- Workflow Design: Help organize the forthcoming bar layout for maximum speed and efficiency, to help with maintaining minimal staff and handling rushes and employee workflow.
- Checklists: Develop opening/closing routines, deep-cleaning schedules, and equipment maintenance logs. Also plan for equipment maintenance and actionable items, with a set of steps to follow.

4. Team Building & Mentorship

- Initial Training: Lead a 2-4 week intensive "bootcamp" for all staff, both existing and new hires, covering specialty coffee culture, espresso theory, milk science, and customer service standards.
- Ongoing Education: Conduct regular cuppings, latte art workshops,



and skills assessments to keep the team at the forefront of the trends in specialty coffee.
- Performance Management: Set performance goals for the barista team and provide regular, constructive feedback.
- Connect with Strange Fellows Team: Work with other members of the team to help facilitate, create and refine the concept, refine direction and marketing, and make our brand synonymous with established patterns and repute

5. Quality Control & Technical Maintenance

- Daily Calibration: Oversee the "dialing-in" process every morning, adjusting grind size and yields to account for environmental changes.
- Equipment Care: Serve as the primary contact for espresso machine and grinder maintenance, performing basic repairs and scheduling professional servicing.

Qualifications & Skills

- Experience: 2+ years of specialty coffee experience, with a background in cafe management or as a Lead Barista.
- Technical Expertise: Advanced understanding of extraction variables (TDS, yield, temperature) and mastery of micro foam. Also, a working knowledge of La Marzocco Espresso machines would be helpful
- Business Literacy: Basic understanding of COGS (Cost of Goods Sold) and experience using Toast POS systems.
- Leadership: Strong ability to delegate, solve problems under pressure, and cultivate a positive "hospitality-first" culture.
- Community: Experience in the Vancouver specialty coffee world, with an understanding of our customers and our place within the craft beer and specialty coffee world

We would like to thank all applicants for your interest, however only those who will move to the interview stage will be contacted. Pay: $18.25-$26.98 per hour

Benefits

- Casual dress
- Adaptable schedule
- On-site parking

Work Location: In person

📌 Lead Barista at Strange Fellows Brewing (Vancouver)
🏢 Strange Fellows Brewing
📍 Vancouver