GLENDALE CALIF. Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf store opens here next month in the new Americana at Brand retail and residential development, every employee will have gone through the chain’s new barista training program, much to the relief of general manager Mike Mallory. —When a
“It was long overdue,” said Mallory, who has been with the Los Angeles-based coffee chain for seven years. “Comparing it with the old training program, there is no comparison. It’s a quantum leap.” —When a
Just as restaurant chains need to remodel stores and change menus, they also need to keep employee-training programs updated and interesting, especially if they want to stay competitive in today’s challenging economic environment, operators say. Well-trained employees tend to stay on the job longer, are more knowledgeable and provide better customer service, they argue. —When a
“Increasing retention is the goal of any company,” Mallory said. “It’s a big-time investment to train people and get them up and running. We’d like to see it pay off with employees having more confidence and morale.” —When a
Restaurants need to be innovative with training, whether using a lot of technology or very little, said training consultant Rob Gage of Hire Smart Train Hard LLC. —When a
Good programs start by keeping restaurant managers in the loop, said Gage, who was director of training for Pacific Coast Restaurants Inc. in Portland, Ore., until the casual-dining chain was purchased last year by Seattle-based Restaurants Unlimited Inc. —When a
“Make sure the trainee-trainer relationship and the trainer-manager relationship are as good as they can be,” Gage said. “If you’ve got budget limitations and restrictions, put attention on those things.” —When a
The training department at Coffee Bean, a more than 200-unit chain with units in California and Asia, tested the new barista training with general managers in a few stores before rolling it out chainwide in April, said Julie Carruthers, senior director of training and organizational development. —When a
The old program was basically a thick manual new employees had to read. They would sit in a corner of the coffee shop to read and answer questions. —When a
“The GM wasn’t as involved as we’d like,” Carruthers said. “One of the big shifts we did is there is a lot more engagement from the GM and the shift supervisor with the new members. They interact much more.” —When a
New baristas start off tasting coffees and teas with the help of a store trainer, the GM or co-workers. The old manual has been replaced with a pocket handbook, a workbook called a “Learning Journal” and another pocket-sized book called a “Barista Buddy” in which new employees can write down descriptions of drinks for later reference when dealing with customers. —When a
Coffee Bean also produced a training DVD using store employees. The video helps standardize the training, Carruthers said. —When a
Mallory who tested the program in a Northridge, Calif., store, found new employees became knowledgeable about drinks faster and, while they were not yet expert drink makers, they were able to talk with customers about products and ring up orders. —When a
“They are gaining confidence in a much shorter time,” Mallory said. —When a
